Macron's Kenya Visit: A Push to Revive French Influence in Africa

French President Emmanuel Macron recently visited Kenya to co-host a high-level summit with his counterpart William Ruto in Nairobi. This is the first African summit organized by France in an English-speaking country, marking a strategic pivot by Paris as relations with French-speaking West African nations grow increasingly tense.

Over time, France's influence in its former African colonies was once powerful, particularly in central and West Africa, including the arid Sahel nations. However, over the past decade, rising instability in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso has sparked a strong wave of anti-French sentiment. This stems from the failure of French-led military interventions and the belief that Paris meddles in the internal affairs of its former colonies.

France's influence has significantly waned across West Africa. Some countries, such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, have formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and turned to Russia for alliances. Even friendlier governments like those in Ivory Coast, Chad, and Senegal have called for French troops to withdraw. In July 2025, France handed over its last major military base in Senegal after President Bassirou Diomaye Faye declared the bases incompatible with national sovereignty.

At the Nairobi summit, Macron announced that France would invest 23 billion euros ($27 billion) in African countries, focusing on energy, artificial intelligence, and culture. Kenyan President William Ruto emphasized that the new partnership must respect African sovereignty, built not on dependency but on sovereign equality, and not on aid or charity but on mutually beneficial investment.

However, these commitments were overshadowed by backlash on social media following some of Macron's actions at the summit. He interrupted a discussion by young artists, stepping onto the stage to scold the audience for whispering, calling it a “total lack of respect.” He also described himself as “a true Pan-Africanist,” which many criticized as cultural or political appropriation.

Beverly Ochieng, a West Africa analyst at risk intelligence firm Control Risks, said it is too early to assess whether this is a successful turning point. Success will depend on how Paris and new partners like Kenya manage the ghosts of the spreading anti-French sentiment, and whether economic and cultural investments are truly equitable and promote growth in Africa.

Currently, despite declining military influence, France still maintains monetary control through the CFA franc, used by 14 countries with about 210 million people, pegged to the euro. In business, more than 3,000 French companies operate in Africa, from telecoms (Orange) to energy (TotalEnergies, Orano) to banking. However, in the Sahel, these firms are struggling. Orano lost control of its subsidiaries in Niger after the 2023 coup, and its uranium mine was nationalized in June 2025.

France's new strategy is shifting from military support and development aid to pure trade. Paris is drawing closer to Nigeria and Kenya—two major economies with no colonial history with France—where nearly 300 French companies operate. Nigeria and France signed a €300 million military cooperation agreement in early 2024. However, these English-speaking countries are considered highly competitive. In 2025, Kenyan President Ruto terminated a highway construction contract with France's Vinci Highways SAS over cost concerns and transferred it to a Chinese company.