KEY POINTS
- Kenya and France signed 11 deals covering rail, ports, energy and digital infrastructure Wednesday.
- A Sh12.5 billion Nairobi Commuter Rail rehabilitation deal is the centerpiece of the agreements.
- Kenya is seeking French nuclear energy expertise to support its 10,000-megawatt electricity target.
Kenya and France signed 11 cooperation agreements Wednesday. President William Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron held bilateral talks at State House Nairobi ahead of the Africa Forward Summit. The deals span transport, energy, digital infrastructure, climate services and trade.
It is one of the most wide-ranging cooperation packages the two countries have signed in recent memory.
The deals that matter most
The centerpiece is a Sh12.5 billion agreement to rehabilitate and modernize the Nairobi Commuter Rail network. The project upgrades rail connections to Syokimau, Embakasi, Ruiru and Kikuyu. The Riruta-Ngong line, currently under construction, is also included.
Kenya and France agreed on a joint venture for logistics and port infrastructure development valued at approximately Sh104 billion. Separate agreements cover digital transformation, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Climate and weather services, sustainable aviation fuel production and blue economy collaboration are also part of the package.
The Kipeto Wind Power project gets an additional 100 megawatts of capacity under another deal. Kenya secured agreements to promote specialty tea exports to French markets. Collaboration in healthcare, education and technical training rounds out the package.
Nuclear energy and air links on the table
Ruto said Kenya is seeking French expertise in nuclear energy. The country is targeting 10,000 megawatts of installed electricity capacity. Both leaders discussed improving air connectivity to support trade, tourism and investment.
Macron said France remains committed to expanding investment across Africa. Paris also supports reform of the international financial architecture, he added.
The Africa Forward Summit opens Thursday in Nairobi. It is the first time the summit has been hosted outside a Francophone country in more than 50 years. Kenya’s selection signals a shift in France’s approach to African partnerships, moving beyond its traditional francophone relationships toward broader continental engagement.
