Overview
- Macron, who cut off a noisy crowd Monday at the University of Nairobi, called the chatter a “total lack of respect” and told talkers to step outside or use side rooms.
- The Africa Forward summit in Kenya, co-hosted with President William Ruto, drew more than 30 African leaders along with business figures and young entrepreneurs.
- France and Kenya announced 11 agreements that channel investment into a proposed nuclear power plant, transport upgrades and sustainable agriculture.
- Macron also joined a “Jerusalema” dance during a campus reception on Tuesday, a video that spread online as he mixed policy outreach with cultural gestures.
- Casting the trip as a reset after the 2022 Sahel expulsions and rising Russian-linked influence, Macron defended France’s role, faulted Mali’s junta for ousting French forces, and leaned on Kenya’s newly ratified defense pact despite local rights concerns over troop protections.