Several African Heads of State have arrived in Nairobi for the upcoming Africa Forward Summit, set to take place from May 11–12, 2026.

• Key attendees include Presidents Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. (Liberia), Alassane Ouattara (Ivory Coast), and Julius Maada Bio (Sierra Leone).
• The summit aims to strengthen Africa-France cooperation and advance dialogues on trade, investment, innovation, and sustainable development.
• Nairobi is hosting top government officials, diplomats, business leaders, youth representatives, and civil society actors from across the continent.

Civil society groups in Nairobi are protesting the upcoming Africa-France Summit, calling it a rebranding of imperialism and neo-colonialism.

• A Counter-Summit, dubbed Pan-Africanism Summit against Imperialism (PASAI) 2026, is organized to oppose the main summit.
• The protests are led by various civil society and pan-African lobby groups, including the Communist Party of Kenya.
• The summit, co-chaired by President William Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron, is set to focus on economic issues, despite criticisms of neo-colonial influence.

French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Nairobi for the Africa Forward Summit, positioning Kenya as a central hub for France's Africa strategy.

• The summit, themed "Africa–France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth," aims to showcase Africa's innovation and foster mutually beneficial development.
• Key attendees include President William Ruto, 30 heads of state and government, and major international figures like UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
• This is the first France–Africa summit to be held in a non-Francophone African country, attracting over 4,000 delegates.