Kenyan President William Ruto will travel to Evian, France, to participate in the G7 Leaders’ Summit at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, where he is expected to represent Africa’s interests and advocate for increased investment, trade, job creation and equitable access to emerging technologies.
According to a statement issued by State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed on Sunday, Ruto’s participation reflects growing international recognition of Kenya’s leadership role and its influence on issues affecting Africa and the Global South.
The President is expected to present Africa’s unified position, building on resolutions reached during the Africa Forward Summit held in Nairobi last month.
The agenda focuses on economic transformation, financial reform, climate action and digital development across the continent.
At the summit, Ruto will join leaders of the world’s major economies, including U.S. President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, among others.
The Kenyan leader is expected to use the forum to push for reforms to the international financial architecture, expanded access to capital and investment, and implementation of recommendations aimed at boosting growth, enterprise development and employment opportunities across Africa.
He will also advocate for stronger partnerships between African countries and major global economies in sectors such as infrastructure, energy, climate resilience and innovation.
A major focus of Ruto’s engagement will be artificial intelligence and the digital economy.
The statement said the President will call for equitable access to emerging technologies and increased investment in digital infrastructure, data centres, innovation ecosystems and skills development to ensure Africa plays a meaningful role in shaping the future of AI.
On the sidelines of the summit, Ruto is scheduled to meet several heads of state and government to deepen strategic partnerships and attract investment into key sectors including manufacturing, renewable energy, infrastructure, agribusiness, housing, healthcare, digital services and value-added exports.
The President is also expected to engage with leading technology executives, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and leaders from major AI companies such as Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, Meta, Nvidia, Mistral AI, Cohere, Black Forest Labs, Synthesia, Sakana AI, Domyn, Sarvam AI and Kakao.
The discussions are aimed at positioning Kenya as Africa’s leading digital innovation hub while expanding opportunities for Kenyan youth through technology-driven job creation.
“The President’s engagements at the G7 Summit are expected to strengthen Kenya’s economic diplomacy agenda, unlock new investment opportunities, deepen strategic partnerships and reinforce Kenya’s position as a gateway to Africa,” the statement said.
The G7 summit is expected to provide Kenya with a high-profile platform to advance continental priorities while seeking new avenues for economic cooperation and investment that could support long-term growth and employment creation.
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