France has secured over $1 billion in agreements with Kenya as President Emmanuel Macron works to strengthen France’s presence in East Africa amid shrinking influence in parts of the Sahel and Francophone West Africa.
The deals were finalised on Sunday, May 10, during bilateral talks at State House in Nairobi shortly after Macron arrived in the Kenyan capital.
Musalia Mudavadi, Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs Minister, said the two sides signed 11 cooperation agreements covering sectors such as transport, infrastructure, maritime affairs, and broader economic development.
“Tonight, the moment President Macron landed, we went straight to State House and had bilateral engagements with France. We have signed 11 instruments, all critical, and in total, it comes to over 1 billion USD worth of programs and commitments,” Mudavadi said in comments broadcast by Citizen TV Kenya.
Nairobi rail expansion takes priority
Upgrading Nairobi’s commuter rail network forms a key part of the infrastructure package.
The Kenyan government intends to extend commuter Line 5 toward Embakasi and Ruiru as part of efforts to ease traffic congestion and improve urban transport in the capital.
Mudavadi added that the project will work alongside existing cooperation with the United Kingdom on the Nairobi Railway City initiative.
“Once this program is complete, with the line going up to Thika, we should be able to evacuate up to 30,000 people per hour,” he said.
Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Hassan Ali Joho also confirmed the signing of a Declaration of Intent on cooperation in the blue economy and fisheries between Kenya and France.
The agreement is expected to boost collaboration in fisheries management, maritime governance, aquaculture development, ocean resource use, and sustainable coastal planning as Kenya expands its ocean-based economy along the Indian Ocean.
For Paris, the partnership with Nairobi reflects a strategic shift toward East Africa as it reassesses its regional approach following military drawdowns and strained relations in countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
This repositioning underscores France’s growing focus on economic partnerships, infrastructure development, and wider regional engagement beyond its traditional Francophone strongholds.