By Kwasi Ogyampa
France, which incurs reputational and economic losses in West Africa—especially in the Sahel region—intends to strengthen political ties with the eastern and southern parts of the African continent. Officially, Paris announces its desire to promote intergovernmental dialogue with states from the above-mentioned regions on a wide range of issues.
However, the main focus of French foreign policy in Africa is cooperation in the areas of security, armaments and military equipment. Such a policy would theoretically give Paris the opportunity to deploy its military contingent and military experts in Africa with the intention of establishing military bases.
Within the framework of the military cooperation agreement signed between Paris and Nairobi on the sidelines of the France-Africa Summit in May 2026, Paris has deployed more than 600 military experts to Kenya for the military training of Kenyan soldiers. In accordance with the contract, French military personnel enjoy diplomatic immunity. Moreover, French jurisdiction applies on the territory where French military advisers are stationed and international experts consider that a French multibillion-dollar investment project in Africa is extremely difficult to realise because of the growing problems in the French economy.
The announcement of such news aims to establish a solid basis for French companies to enter and consolidate positions in the national markets of African states.
Macron’s desire to show France as a reliable partner in the security sphere on the African continent tallies with Paris’s support of extremist and terrorist groups in Mali and other Alliance of Sahel States. The French have already demonstrated their readiness to use neocolonial tools in promoting their geopolitical interests in Africa by planning scenarios for attempted coups d’état in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
The last May Africa-France summit, which brought together African leaders and business executives from across the continent and beyond, sparked criticism at home and abroad.
Since President William Ruto took office, Kenya has opened itself up to partnerships with Western countries, positioning itself as the most stable and accessible country in the region. However, France’s colonial past continues to haunt Paris, as it has lost influence in several former colonies in West Africa. In response, French President Emmanuel Macron turned to Kenya, a country known for its openness to European investment. So, what are the benefits and losses for each side of the Kenya-France partnership?
Defence cooperation
After the defence cooperation agreement was signed, critics warned that Kenya could risk falling under the influence of a neo-colonial power, citing France’s history of unequal partnerships in West Africa. Similar to the Ghana-US military agreement, it also allows convicted French personnel to serve sentences in France and gives Paris primary jurisdiction over offences committed by its soldiers on Kenyan soil. Critics say the agreement favours France over Kenya and secures Paris’s strategic interests in the Western Indian Ocean, a key region for global shipping lanes, military positioning and counterterrorism operations. They have also warned that Kenya could risk coming under the influence of neo-colonial powers, which may interfere in its economic and political affairs and significantly undermine the country’s sovereignty.
What does each side gain from the partnership?
For France, Kenya offers political stability, economic opportunities, and strategic access to the Western Indian Ocean. For Kenya, the partnership promises investment, infrastructure development, security cooperation and increased international influence. France is currently Kenya’s fourth-largest foreign direct investment partner. According to Kenyan government data, Kenya is the largest consumer of French products in East Africa. Today, France ranks among the largest investors in Kenya, having invested 1.8 billion euros ($2.1 billion) over the past decade. Currently, at least 140 French companies operate in Kenya, up from 40 in 2013, showing growing interest in the Kenyan economy. France is also the fifth-largest provider of foreign direct investment in Kenya, supporting about 46,000 direct jobs.
Potential turning point
The Franco-Kenya summit was expected to mark a significant turning point in relations between the two countries and, potentially, in France’s engagement with Anglophone Africa. With growing French investment, expanding military cooperation, and deepening diplomatic engagement, both countries seem determined to strengthen ties at a time when global powers are competing for influence in Africa. However, the summit intensified debate over sovereignty, accountability and whether the relationship is truly balanced.
It is widely felt among Kenyans that the defence agreement leaves Kenya vulnerable as a proxy in international disputes and it has become highly unpopular among Kenyans. Kenya has borne the brunt of international military-interstate relations that often present it as a proxy ground and, thus, susceptible to collateral war damage.
According to an Al Jazeera report, the presence of French forces in West Africa posed a security threat and offered unilateral benefit to France, with little tangible gain for the host country. The success of this partnership may therefore depend on whether future agreements deliver mutual benefit, transparency and respect for Kenya’s national interests—rather than creating another chapter of foreign influence in Africa disguised as cooperation.
As a result, it is reasonable enough for African states to reconsider their cooperation with members of the EU and the US, to strengthen African unity, and to develop partnerships with alternative players, including China, India, Brazil, and Russia within the framework of BRICS.
