BY JOSHUA OTIENO AND MIRAJ GUO
12th,may,2026
NAIROBI, Kenya — President William Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron today officially opened the Africa Forward Summit at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), calling for a fundamental shift in Africa’s relationship with the West.
The high-level summit brought together more than 20 African Heads of State, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, and senior global development partners in discussions aimed at reshaping economic cooperation, investment, and global governance frameworks.
In his opening address, President Ruto said the era of aid and charity must give way to a new model based on “sovereign equity” and mutually beneficial investment.
“The times before us demand strong cooperation, renewed multilateralism, and partnerships grounded not in hierarchy, but mutual respect and shared responsibility,” Ruto said.
He outlined Africa’s development priorities, including reform of the international financial system, increased domestic resource mobilization, green industrialization, expansion of transport and logistics infrastructure, and accelerated adoption of artificial intelligence to empower the continent’s youth.
Co-chairing the summit, President Macron echoed calls for a renewed partnership approach, signaling a strategic shift in France’s engagement with African states. Leaders emphasized the need for “win-win engagements” to replace historical patterns of extraction and unequal trade relations.
The summit attracted a wide range of continental leaders, including President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal, and Botswana’s President Duma Boko. Also in attendance were Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf.
Over the coming days, delegates are expected to negotiate frameworks focused on energy transition, infrastructure connectivity, and digital innovation aimed at unlocking Africa’s economic potential.
