When France President Emmanuel Macron landed in Nairobi yesterday, he immediately set the tone of his visit by signing an investment package ranging from logistics and energy projects in Kenya after bilateral talks with President William Ruto, ahead of the Africa Forward Summit this week.
- •At the top of the stack is a planned KSh 104 billion joint port venture, which French-backed operators would help finance and run cargo infrastructure linked to the Port of Mombasa and inland freight corridors.
- •Another deal that was signed was the expansion of the Kipeto wind project by an additional 100 megawatts, budgeted at about KSh 32.5 billion, built on Kenya’s existing independent power producer model, where private developers finance generation and sell electricity under long-term contracts.
- •Kenya and France also agreed to cooperate on the production of sustainable aviation fuel, a nascent industry that positions Kenya as a potential future supplier to global carriers.
“Our priority is clear: to step up investments and strengthen our cooperation programmes in healthcare, education, food, digital technology, energy and infrastructures. In Nairobi, some 1,500 economic stakeholders will be mobilized to transform ambitions into projects and projects into results,” Macron said.
France is also moving to anchor itself in Kenya’s long-term push into nuclear power. The current arrangement is limited to technical cooperation, covering regulation, safety and skills development, but it dovetails with the country’s ambition to build up to 10,000 megawatts of nuclear capacity over time.
The Deals
Transport infrastructure appears next in the hierarchy of deals, led by the KSh 12.5 billion modernization of Nairobi’s commuter rail network. The project targets upgrades to existing lines linking the capital to satellite towns such as Syokimau, Embakasi, Ruiru, and Kikuyu, as well as ongoing works like the Riruta–Ngong corridor. Financial backing is expected from the French Development Agency, which has financed similar urban mobility projects across Africa.
Water and climate infrastructure form another tranche, including financing tied to the raising of Masinga Dam and upgrades to national weather and climate services. These projects fall within the standard development-finance model: concessional funding aimed at resilience and resource management, with long payback periods and public-sector execution risk.
Digital cooperation spans cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and public-service platforms, aligning with Kenya’s push to digitize government and expand its technology sector anchored around Konza Technopolis. Such agreements typically combine technical assistance with commercial pathways for foreign vendors, making procurement design and data governance central to their long-term impact.
In agriculture, the two countries agreed to promote Kenyan specialty teas, particularly premium purple varieties, within French retail channels. The initiative is export-oriented and relatively small in capital terms, with gains likely concentrated among processors and exporters unless supply chains deepen to include smallholders.
The other deal that was signed between the two sovereigns was a KSh 5.6 billion engineering and science complex at the University of Nairobi, alongside a broader equipment program for four universities covering mechanical, electrical and civil engineering. These projects carry limited immediate economic weight but aim to expand technical capacity over time.
Additional cooperation areas include fisheries and the blue economy, digital health systems and epidemic preparedness, and efforts to improve air connectivity between Kenya and France to support trade and tourism flows.
France is recalibrating its Africa strategy after being pushed out of the Sahel since 2022, shifting from military-backed influence in West Africa to investment-led partnerships in infrastructure, energy, and technology across politically stable Anglophone economies such as Kenya.
“The Summit will prioritize bankable projects, investment pipelines, technology transfer, and skills development, ensuring that partnerships translate into real economic opportunities, jobs, and improved livelihoods for citizens across the continent. Our shared objective is clear: to unlock capital, scale innovation, deepen trade and investment linkages, and create inclusive growth pathways that are resilient, sustainable, and African-led,” President Ruto said.
The Nairobi edition of the France-Africa summit will be the first time it has been held in an Anglophone country.
