NAIROBI, Kenya — National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has held talks with French Ambassador to Kenya Arnaud Suquet, focusing on strengthening bilateral relations and deepening cooperation between the two countries’ legislatures ahead of the Africa–France Summit set to be hosted in Nairobi next year.
In a statement shared on Tuesday, Wetang’ula said the meeting explored ways to enhance parliamentary engagement between Kenya and France, particularly through the Parliamentary Friendship Group.
The Speaker noted that stronger ties between lawmakers from both countries would play a key role in supporting broader diplomatic and development partnerships.
Discussions also turned to preparations for the Africa–France Summit, which Kenya will host in May 2026, an event Wetang’ula described as historic for both the country and the continent.
The summit will mark the first time the high-level Africa–France meeting is held in a non-Francophone country, underscoring Kenya’s growing diplomatic profile and strategic importance in regional and global affairs.
This morning, I met with the French Ambassador to Kenya, H.E. Arnaud Suquet.We reviewed ways to deepen Kenya–France cooperation, with a focus on strengthening parliamentary engagement through the Parliamentary Friendship Group.We also discussed the Africa–France Summit to be
According to Wetang’ula, the summit’s agenda will centre on priority sectors aligned with Kenya’s development goals and Africa’s long-term growth.
These include innovation, infrastructure development, climate action and health—areas seen as critical to sustainable development and shared prosperity between Africa and its international partners.
Kenya is set to host the summit amid expanding diplomatic and economic engagement between France and African nations.
President William Ruto previously announced that Kenya and France will jointly host the “Africa Forward: Africa–France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth” Summit, scheduled for May 11 and 12 in Nairobi.
The decision was confirmed during a meeting between President Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron on September 24 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week in New York.
The summit forms part of a renewed push to reshape Africa–France relations through partnerships based on mutual benefit, investment and innovation.
It will kick off with a Business Forum on May 11, bringing together private sector players from Africa and France to showcase innovations, share success stories and explore new opportunities for collaboration across the summit’s thematic areas.
