Kenya, France sign 11 agreements during Macron's visit

Kenya and France signed 11 agreements on Sunday aimed at deepening cooperation across strategic sectors.

The agreements were signed at the State House following talks between President William Ruto and French President Emmanuel Macron.

They cover several areas, including energy, transport, digital infrastructure, and sustainable fuel projects.

They include a project for the construction of a new National Electricity Control Center, the modernization of railways and signaling for Nairobi’s U-20 commuter train, renovation work at the Masinga Dam, support for a national digital highway and fiber deployment, and cooperation on sustainable fuels.

Macron said the agreements are intended to support long-term development and improve public services in Kenya.

“The projects that we have signed today, which are the result of a lot of work in recent months, and sometimes in recent years, will improve the lives of Kenyans,” he said.

He added that the new electricity control center would support “less expensive and more reliable access to energy” while the rail upgrade project aims to improve urban mobility and reduce congestion in Nairobi.

Ruto described relations between the two countries as longstanding and strategically important.

“France has been with Kenya since independence, and we have walked that journey together ever since,” he said during a joint media briefing.

He assured Macron that Kenya would uphold the commitments made under the new agreements.

“Mr. President, I want to promise you that we will not disappoint you. The confidence you have demonstrated in Kenya confirms to you that you have friends on this other side. And you can count on our partnership, you can count on our friendship, and you can count on our collaboration and cooperation,” Ruto said.

The two leaders also discussed rising fuel and energy costs linked to tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes.

"On the challenges that we have on the Strait of Hormuz, I was having consultations with my fellow heads of state from Sierra Leone, Senegal and all of us are affected. Fuel prices, oil prices, had gone up by between 20% to 30%," Ruto said.

Ruto called for a ceasefire, urging countries involved in the conflict to consider the wider global impact on developing economies.

Macron is in the country for the Africa Forward Summit, which begins Monday. The summit is a forum bringing together African leaders, investors and business executives to discuss trade, infrastructure and economic partnerships across the continent.