President-Elect Ruto Holds Talks with French President Emmanuel Macron

President-elect William Ruto on Tuesday held talks via phone with French President Emmanuel Macron where they discussed strengthening bilateral ties between Kenya and France.

Élysée Palace, the official residence of the French president, said Macron informed Ruto of his country’s desire to partner with Kenya in key areas including infrastructure, agriculture and health.

"The President of the Republic (Macron) and President-elect Ruto talked about deepening the Franco-Kenyan relationship, within the framework of the dynamic created by the visit of the President of the Republic to Kenya in 2019 and as a priority in the fields of infrastructure, agriculture and health," read the statement.

Macron also lauded Kenya for leveraging its position as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to advance peace across Africa.

"The President of the Republic also paid tribute to the stabilizing role of Kenya in its regional environment and insisted on France's desire to continue the cooperation in progress within the framework of the United Nations Security Council and in support of the efforts of the African Union," the Élysée Palace added.

Macron visited Kenya in March 2019, marking the first time a sitting French President visited Nairobi since the country gained independence in 1963. 

During his visit, Macron and outgoing President Kenyatta signed deals to expand public-private partnerships between the two nations. The agreements touched on the Big Four Agenda and renewable energy projects. 

Ruto is set to be sworn in as Kenya’s fifth president on September 13th after the Supreme Court validated his victory in the August 9th presidential election.