Kenya today officially entered the final phase of preparations for the Africa Forward Summit, following the formal handover of the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ahead of the high-level meeting scheduled for May 11–12, 2026.
The symbolic handover, led by the Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Hon. Rebecca Miano, to the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Hon. Dr. Musalia Mudavadi, marked the transition of KICC into the official operational venue for the first-ever Africa Forward Summit to be hosted in Anglophone Africa.
The Summit will convene more than 30 African Heads of State and Government, over 4,000 delegates, and approximately 2,500 global business leaders, investors, innovators, development partners, and policy actors from across Africa, France, and the wider international community.
The ceremony followed a high-level inspection of preparedness at the iconic venue, attended by Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Dr. Korir Sing’oei, French Ambassador to Kenya Amb. Arnaud Suquet, KICC Chief Executive Officer James Mwaura, senior government officials, representatives of the French Embassy, Summit Secretariat officials, and local and international media.
Held under the theme “Africa Forward: Africa–France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth,” the Summit is expected to mark a significant turning point in Africa–France relations, anchored on a renewed framework of parity, innovation, co-investment, and practical implementation.
Speaking during the ceremony, Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Hon. Dr. Musalia Mudavadi said the Summit represents far more than a diplomatic gathering, describing it as a strategic platform to reposition Africa within an evolving global order.
“The Summit is anchored around a simple but powerful proposition, that Africa must move from dialogue to delivery. From declarations to implementation. From promises to measurable outcomes. And from historical dependency frameworks toward partnerships grounded in parity, mutual respect, innovation, and shared opportunity”, observed the Prime Cabinet Secretary.
Mudavadi noted that Kenya was honoured to host a summit designed to move beyond traditional declarations toward tangible outcomes that improve the lives of African citizens through investments, partnerships, innovation, and job creation.
Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Hon. Rebecca Miano said the successful preparation and handover of KICC demonstrated Kenya’s readiness to host one of the most consequential international gatherings on the continent in recent years.
“This morning marks a significant milestone in Kenya’s ascent as a premier global destination for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions. I am pleased to confirm that Kenya is fully prepared to host delegates, global leaders, investors, development partners and participants from across the world. The KICC is ready to deliver a world-class event experience”, said CS Miano.
She added that the Summit would also strengthen Nairobi’s standing as a premier destination for global diplomacy, business tourism, multilateral engagement, and international conferencing.
Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs Dr. Korir Sing’oei emphasized that the Africa Forward Summit is intentionally structured as an implementation-focused platform designed to align political leadership, private sector capital, and innovation ecosystems around Africa’s development priorities.
“The issues under discussion at the Africa Forward Summit are far from abstract policy debates. They are directly linked to investment, job creation, industrial development, food security, innovation, and the broader socio-economic wellbeing of African citizens,” said the PS.
According to the PS, the Summit seeks to redefine how Africa engages global partners by positioning the continent not as a passive recipient of support, but as a strategic actor and co-creator of global solutions.
The Summit’s agenda will focus on seven strategic thematic pillars shaping Africa’s future development trajectory, namely: Green industrialization and energy transition, Reform of the international financial architecture, Blue economy development, Sustainable agriculture and food systems, Artificial intelligence and digital technologies, Resilient health systems as well as Peace and security.
A major highlight of the Summit will be the Africa Forward Business Forum at the University of Nairobi, expected to bring together more than 2,500 CEOs, investors, entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, sovereign institutions, and policymakers in one of the largest Africa–France private sector engagements ever convened on the continent.
The Business Forum will feature CEO roundtables, investment announcements, business-to-business matchmaking, innovation showcases, youth entrepreneurship platforms, and sector-focused discussions covering infrastructure, logistics, AI, health manufacturing, creative industries, agriculture, connectivity, and clean energy.
French Ambassador to Kenya Amb. Arnaud Suquet described the Summit as a reflection of France’s commitment to building more balanced, forward-looking, and mutually beneficial partnerships with African countries, giving an example of ongoing bilateral projects and initiatives by France in Kenya.
“When it comes to education, France is heavily invested in the University of Nairobi. As part of the Summit activities, we are going to break ground on a new science and engineering complex within the Chiromo campus. This will be the state-of-the-art science centre of excellence in Kenya,” explained Amb. Suquet.
Amb. Suquet noted that France is the fourth largest Foreign Direct investor in Kenya with over 150 companies present in the country, employing more than 36,000 people, He added this showed a lot of confidence by French capital to build local manufacturing and production capacity in unlocking future growth opportunities through innovation, industrial cooperation, and sustainable investment.
The Summit will culminate in the adoption of the Nairobi Declaration, expected to outline a new framework for Africa–France cooperation focused on implementation, accountability, and measurable impact. Acknowledging the role of the media in communicating the ambition of the Summit PS Sing’oei called on the media to capture the momentous significance of the Summit across the continent.
As final logistical, diplomatic, security, protocol, and media preparations intensify ahead of the opening ceremony, Kenya has reaffirmed its commitment to delivering a world-class Summit that positions Africa at the centre of conversations shaping the future of global growth, innovation, and partnerships.
