Ruto faces scrutiny amid concerns on 'undermined' country's sovereignty

President William Ruto rolled out the red carpet for President Emmanuel Macron this week in Nairobi, hosting a summit that France described as a turning point in its engagement with Africa even as critics questioned whether Kenya’s warm welcome signals “selective solidarity” toward a European nation whose role has been rejected elsewhere. 

The “Africa Forward” summit, the first French-led event held in an English-speaking country, brought Macron to a stage where France’s influence has narrowed sharply following political turmoil and ruptures across parts of West Africa and the Sahel, analysts said.

In Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, military juntas have severed ties with Paris and moved toward new security partnerships. Against that backdrop, Macron used the Nairobi meeting to argue that France is pivoting from older models of engagement to a relationship he said was investment-led, mutually beneficial and rooted in “respect for sovereignty”.

Macron defended France’s presence in Africa as a matter of partnership rather than power. He told reporters that France must confront the perception that it once acted as “the predator of this century”, a phrase he used to underscore the reputational damage France says it has suffered.  

Analysts said the timing reflects urgency for Macron. Following a series of coups in the Sahel and the recent handover of France’s last major military facility in Senegal, Paris is seeking to demonstrate that it remains a consequential actor on the continent.

“France has lost a great deal of prestige and influence in Francophone African countries,” said Ulf Laessing, head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s Sahel programme. “It is now making a strong effort to expand into Anglophone countries – Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria – to reposition itself.”

At the summit, Macron hailed  what he said would be a major mobilisation of investment, presenting the meeting as evidence of a “relationship of equals”. He also framed the gathering as an effort to move beyond tensions that have characterised France’s recent ties with some West African regimes.

Yet the hospitality in Nairobi has sparked scrutiny. Critics inside Kenya and across the region are asking why a country positioning itself as a champion of African sovereignty would accept aspects of France’s security and legal approach that were rejected elsewhere.

Critics say West African states concluded that some French arrangements undermined sovereignty, while Kenya’s leadership appears ready to move forward with similar structures.

Political analysts at consultancy firm Oxford Economics caution that African states must make calculated decisions to protect their sovereignty and strategic interests, even as they seek development partnerships. 

“While France is attempting to market itself as a more equal and respectful partner, the summit also reflected a broader effort by a former colonial power to remain economically and politically relevant on the continent as its traditional influence declines in West Africa and the Sahel,” says Jervin Naidoo.

France’s strong pivot towards anglophone Africa further highlighted Paris’s recognition that its future influence will depend far more on business and investment ties than historical relationships alone,” noted Mr Naidoo added.

Saboti MP Caleb Amisi feels that France is not genuine in its overtures. “France has a moral duty to explain to East Africa first why she is not needed in West Africa, whom they share lingua franca and historical colonial ties.”

But supporters of the summit argue that each country’s circumstances are different and that Kenya can negotiate safeguards while benefiting from cooperation. They also say the Nairobi meeting offers a channel for reform-minded engagement, not a return to older patterns.

Ruto sought to downplay the criticism by presenting the summit as pragmatic diplomacy. In a State House statement, he described the engagement as a “turning point” toward a more “balanced, action-oriented” partnership.

The summit has also faced growing attention over a Defence Cooperation Agreement between Kenya and France. 

Critics say the agreement expands military ties through a “Visiting Forces” arrangement and includes privileges for foreign personnel, including provisions that allow French personnel to import personal effects and furniture free of customs duties and taxes for up to six months.

Critics say Article 13 gives French authorities the “primary right” to exercise jurisdiction over French personnel for offences. They describe this as a “jurisdictional shield” an arrangement they say resembles the legal mechanism that fuelled anti-French protests in West Africa.

Analysts say the same sense of unequal accountability that shaped public anger in West Africa could resurface in Kenya if legal protections are perceived as insulating foreign personnel from local systems.

France has argued that cooperation is normal between states and that the summit marks an effort to rebuild trust after reputational damage. During the summit, Macron characterised the meeting as a necessity in a changing security landscape and as part of France’s broader effort to show that its engagement is evolving.

Analysts said Macron also faces an internal political demand to demonstrate that France is not being written out of Africa’s future.

French officials and Macron’s team have stressed that the summit is not aimed at reviving “Françafrique” – a term often used by critics to describe France’s long-running system of influence through intertwined political, economic and security ties. Macron said the new approach is designed around “equality, investment and transparent partnership frameworks.”