A few more voices from Nairobi on cultural expectations

 

Kenyans discuss France's proposals of cultural exchanges and cooperation after Africa Forward

As France seeks to redefine its relationship with African countries beyond politics and military ties, culture, technology and creative industries were at the centre of discussions during the recent Africa Forward summit in Nairobi.

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Melissa Chemam, back from Nairobi

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Jean-Camille Sormain is a playwright, theatre director, and cultural producer based between Paris and Fort-de-France. He came to Nairobi for the 'Africa Forward' summit because he says it is important to link Africa to the Caribbean islands.

"I'm of mixed Caribbean heritage, I come from Martinique, and it's important to create links between Martinique and Africa," he told me.

"Now, since this is a summit of all the African countries, it's obviously the place to be.  And we have our own specific characteristics; people from the Caribbean aren't Africans and vice versa. And we're so small... But, at the same time, we also have things in common, and that's what brings us together. So that diversity is also present here."

Jean-Camille Sormain in Nairobi at the Africa Forward Summit in May 2026

Arts, technology and business over politics

The summit brought together artists, entrepreneurs and innovators from across Africa, and both from the French- and English-speaking world, with discussions often focused more on culture and opportunity than on diplomacy itself.

Like Sormain, hundreds of talents from across the African continent and from France attended the summit, which offered talks on technology, investment but also on young artists and business leaders. Over 450 of them were invited to Nairobi for a special session to discuss high-impact projects and to share their ideas for the future of the continent.

Aïcha Touré, from Orange Sierra Leone, was one of the panelists invited at the summit.

“It was very interesting, very enriching," she told me. Even beforehand, the preparation for the panel was excellent. And then the live discussions were fantastic, incredibly interesting as well.”

The panel titled 'Creation in Motion' was a session focused on the cultural and creative industries as a sector of economic opportunity and as a vehicle for showcasing the continent's new visions and narratives, inspired by the previous 'Creation Africa' forums. An immersive artistic experience led by African creators also took place. 

Maroua Bekkouche, a French-Algerian beauty guru entrepreneur told me that, for many participants, the summit also became a platform to reflect on identity, representation and diasporic connections.

“It's a tremendous honour for me to be invited," she said. When I was asked to participate in the panel alongside these two incredible presidents, I immediately accepted because, for me, it was the perfect opportunity to represent the youth of the North African diaspora. And I am here today to represent Algeria through my journey and my life experience.” 

Cooperation beyond the usual 'Francophonie'

Beyond the official panels, the cultural dimension of the summit also extended into literature and publishing.

Parallel to the Africa Forward summit was organised a literary festival, at the French Cultural centre in Nairobi, the Alliance Française. 

Dozens of authors, publishers, content creators, and other creatives from all over Africa participated in talks, book signings and other events. 

Organisers said they wanted this year’s edition to open the institution to a broader range of African voices and audiences.

Tracy Ochieng is Kenyan podcaster and is one of the moderators. “I am a journalist and podcast host at Books in Africa and I have been a moderator for a couple of sessions at the Africa Forward Festival, which was so exciting," she told me.

"I was able to sit down with Donica Merhazion to talk about her book on Eritrea. I also had a very powerful Gen Z session, and we know this phrase if you're a Kenyan, when we lose our fear, they lose their power. I was able to moderate an amazing session.” 

Podcaster Tracy Ochieng and author Donica Merhazion at Alliance Française
in a talk, part of  Africa Forward Fest, in Nairobi in May 2026

Donica Merhazion is an Eritrean lecturer and writer. Her aforementioned first book, titled ‘Born at the End of the World’, is a historical fiction novel based on her parents’ experiences in the 'Red Terror' in Ethiopia and Eritrea in the late 1970s, especially her mothers.

She said being featured in this festival was "a dream come true", "a dream I never knew I had", as she didn't know the Alliance Française of Nairobi.

"And I'm so honoured and humbled that so many people want to hear this story and share it. And I just thank all the readers.”

Alliance Française is a place where people can take French lessons.  But this year, for the summit, the organisers featured multiple languages at the festival, and especially with East African Anglophone creatives, some of whom had never come to the centre before. 

Events like Africa Forward Fest are also an opportunity for publishers to promote their work and their African ways of telling stories. 

Joan Onyando is a manager at eKitabu publishing, and was there for the three days of the festival. “Our goal is to bring quality books to the market, space for authors in East Africa, and to build a brand for these authors," she told me.  

Thanks to one of their imprints, the publishing house also organises a French Prize, the ‘Prix de l'Edition Jeunesse Africaine’, for children's books, with the support of Alliance Française. The winners were announced mid-May. 

For all these participants, such initiatives showed an attempt at redefining cultural cooperation between France and some African countries, through more equal creative exchanges.

What remains to be seen how these propositions will be viewed outside of the official circles.

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More soon.