| DAY BREAK | Youth: Africa-France summit review

Added: 2026-05-15

[00:00:00]say that very confidently.

[00:00:01]>> So just >> so because you you mentioned the Sahel and the western Sahel, let's get into uh the summit. Uh did you consider in your view uh Joshua was this about France falling out in in in West Africa with with certain countries and therefore now looking for other allies on the continent?

[00:00:20]>> Absolutely. France has fallen out um with the old friends. uh of course those were forced friendships and uh you know look at uh Nija Bukinaaso and and and and and now and Mali as well. These are countries that have grappled with um you know with insecurity, wars, many you know e economic downfalls and many other bad things. And these are the countries that have been promised before. If we are talking about I heard El Nino here talk about um you know France now being able to speak on our behalf and and and France uh coming to support Kenya and and and you know other people are saying this was a partnership of equals you know now because France and Kenya were co-hosting uh the summit this is not a partnership of equals look you cannot have a country whose GDP is 7 actually 21 times the GDP of Kenya and the economic power of an individual in uh in in France is 17 times the economic power of a random Kenyan you meet on the streets today.

[00:01:32]So that tells you something these are not equal. So this is a relationship or a partnership of you know these are master servant partnership where when they sit on the table the master calls the shots the master dictates the terms.

[00:01:44]So France has fallen out with the former friends and France is also struggling for the control of Africa. You see we have China, we have R Russ Russia and and and of course we we we have the the United States which I don't want to talk about all these all these people calling themselves the you know the the giants are trying to get a control of Africa and Kenya because of because we have a I'm sorry to say a not so useful president currently has been identified as one country to easily get into and to actually get control of to set basis you know military bases to come and um get all the resources that we we probably have most of which are agricultural products and to do all the other things.

[00:02:31]France is saying that because the other people have sent us away we are coming to East Africa and because they cannot just come and say we are coming to exploit you that would of course not look good. They have to come in a better way. They have to come and tell you that look we are coming to invest in Africa.

[00:02:50]we are coming to partner so that then we will we shall both uh benefit. In other words, they saying we they this is just the beginning. They're saying we we are just coming we are just inserting our tip and that's it. But I can tell you once they insert their tip it will be done and over for us. They are going to um ensure that their corporations that some of which were represented in the summit make money here and send back home. They are going to ensure that expatriates from the from France and and Europe generally come to Kenya and make money here and send money back home. And they're going to ensure that the Kenyan people >> interject it is my time.

[00:03:34]>> That's quite a pessimistic um >> that is not a pessimistic approach. That is not because I'm talking about I'm talking about things. Maloba your time will come. Can you >> I'll give you I'll give you >> just just my brother.

[00:03:44]>> Exactly.

[00:03:45]>> Yeah. You started this. You see when someone is speaking you listen to them.

[00:03:49]I'll also listen to you.

[00:03:52]>> We have seen there's nothing you can promise us that has not happened. France promised the Sahel region. There's something called office du nijer. This was a project an agricultural project.

[00:04:02]One of the biggest ever promised by France. Where is it? Only 6% is is is done. And it has actually it has it it has it has gone down. It has it has died. It is not working anymore. So someone cannot tell us these new promises are going to work. If we have seen elsewhere France has promised and nothing has worked. What tells you that in Kenya is it's going to work in Kenya.

[00:04:21]It is not going to work. It is not going to work. Let me ask let me ask and at the same time at the same time this some of these promises actually all of them that we are people are boasting around saying France is now coming to help Kenya. These are loans. We already have a loan of 12.4 4 trillion. We are adding more onto that 12.4 trillion. How are we going to service this loans? The problem is you're quite keen to jump in and >> we take more loans on the partnerships aspect. But Alino, did this because this was a maiden summit as I understand it in Anglophone Africa. Did it symbolize to you a turning of the page in the way and it was held you know the way France in the way France interacts with a continent?

[00:05:01]>> Okay. Thank you. Uh when we talk of Anglophone um the the Afrey uh the Afrey France it used to exist in the franophhone countries in a in Africa. Yeah. That is in the west countries that are aligned to French. Yeah. So and now they are uh extending their hands to the Anglo countries and Kenya is hosting uh Africa France summit for the first time on the Anglo countries uh is talking about the fall back with uh with the Sahel region that was expected and now they have to extend their hands to bring more allies on board and he's talking about now Kenya uh loaning more and more and one of the agendas of the Africa Forward summit. How are we going forward as African countries, one of the agendas was to enable Africa to make their own things and avoid the issue of depending on aids. We are no longer needing aids as Africans. How are we going to make it on our own? Secondly, uh Africa is negotiating on how they will reduce the terms of loaning.

[00:06:20]The terms are getting too rigid. That is why you find when we are now getting the returns, the taxation goes high. How are we going to manage this? Are are we as Africans going to get representations in the IMF? Are we going to get representations in the United Council?

[00:06:37]So we are bringing all this uh the uh the France uh had already made promises on the other side but we as Africans are we still going to have the colonialism mentality or do we really want growth for this country? We are looking forward to this how are we going to manage this?

[00:06:55]Are we going to incorporate the agendas that are being brought by the Africa forward summit?

[00:07:01]>> All right Bashir come in.

[00:07:04]First of all, I view the just concluded Africa forward summit as a positive and as a defining moment not just in Kenya but Africa uh through the evolving global order. You know today's uh global order or today's world does not operate on confrontation and isolation. The modern international relations is increasingly shaped by dialogue, cooperation, strategic partnership, and peaceful coexistence. Nations that now bring engagement such as diplomacy, trade, innovation, and collective problem solving approach actually position themselves with the future emerging power, emerging global power structure. And Kenya has significantly positioned itself globally by hosting the Africa forward summit. And to me I am viewing the benefit that it has given Kenya under the leadership of President William Samoay Ruto in that it has actually brought brought 35 heads of states that is one two international organization like the United Nation. We saw the secretary general Antonio Gutes.

[00:08:16]We also had the Africa Union bringing all these stakeholders on a table for them to negotiate and discuss how can we have an Africa that is surviving and thriving an Africa that is united and personally I was I actually got an opportunity to attend the summit and I can say it was actually a defining moment and it shaped Kenya's geopolitical landscape and it actually built confidence in Africa that Kenya can spearhead actually such summit through uh conversing Africa or bringing Africa on the table for them to converse on global conversation such as peace, security, climate action, economic transformation and institutional reform.

[00:09:06]So to me it was encouraging to see that Kenya is not just a periphery on a global decision but rather an influencer a convenor okay of global conversation and that was so so strategic and again we cannot use we have to actually differentiate between history and political manipulation. History is supposed to give a strategy on how to move forward and not trap Africa in a state of victimhood. Okay. The actually the tendency of blaming France to me that was not quite good because the investment actually France actually enabled the African countries to bring 100 billion euros. Okay. and they invested on different sectors, infrastructure, uh the green energy and also the the the human capital and creative economy. Okay. And we saw through the Africa forward summit concert at Kasarani whereby our local artist was shining globally. So to me it was a positive and a defining moment.

[00:10:17]>> So you're saying France made no mistakes in its interaction?

[00:10:21]>> No.

[00:10:22]>> Former colonies. That one you see that one is something >> we forget >> you see you see you see olive one thing that we need to have in mind is when the world is growing developing you know you can't just agree that I will sit and I am comfortable being behind in as much as these people have done mistakes with their allies then for us what we are talking about growth and growth does not mean that does not mean that you are undermining the sovereignity of the three >> so um so I have three three I'll I'll unpack it in three ways so first um the the the partnership came in handy with uh with the goodies of course um so we when we have um 27 was it 27 billion generated to to support the the the to to to to address the joblessness issue So that one that one is um a tick for them.

[00:11:27]We say give Caesar what belongs to Caesar. We give you a tick where it bel u where it is due. So first um the the Africa France summit um brought uh what we call um it's it was a unifying moment for Africa in a in a way that now Africa are going to be um co-creators in when when it comes to negotiation.

[00:11:55]Uh they're not going to negotiate as as as beggars. they're not going to negotiate as co-creators when when it comes to negotiation it it is usually what are you offering so when Africa is giving this and France is giving this then we have a successful partnership two we have now uh the creative economy you realize the creative economy is one of the biggest um youth employment uh opportunity one of the agendas uh in the Africa uh France summit was uh the the lifting the like improving the digit digital economy. So for me uh I think it was a defining moment for for the young people to create to get jobs through the creative economy. Plus, I would like to comment on the the concert at Casarani, the the the final concert at Kasarani.

[00:13:04]Uh the the concert um I really appreciate how it was conducted.

[00:13:10]Honestly, it it brought people from all uh from the different parts of Africa.

[00:13:17]Let's say Yad, we had Ben, we had Costa singing in Lu. So it means as Africa we've embraced our our culture which is one of the richest cultures we have in the world. Then two we we've also uh we're going to create more opportunities through the creative economy. You see when those guys were were performing there it was a great motivation to their coming artists that they say they they saying so if we join the creative economy so we can create we can create some income from it. So it it the partnership is really a redefining moment for for for Kenya, >> okay, >> to build its economic uh its economic space because we have been having the same crisis of joblessness.

[00:14:08]>> Okay.

[00:14:08]>> Issues to do with um >> so this created economic opportunity.

[00:14:12]All right. Maloba the theme was partnership of equals >> having attended was that reflected?

[00:14:20]Yeah, that was reflected and uh of course one of the uh key development issues that arose from this uh summit was um that with the governments, the two governments came up with thematic areas that they were discussing on and this where I want to invite even the mindset change of my good friend comrade Okio.

[00:14:50]I admire him during the Jenzi movement.

[00:14:53]He did a really great work and he underwent a lot of issues which I sympathize till today and that's where we're not supposed to be >> headed as a nation but again he need to turn that into an opportunity to provide uh opportunities for many young people and uh take those numbers of many young people into a visionary pathway that will transform them into uh good leaders of tomorrow and that's why we have the institute of leadership now and I think in one of the scholarship that we just launched 100 of them I I'm willing to offer you one >> go back to the summit because we we're almost at >> and on the summit is that through this thematic areas we saw the you the security the peace and security matter the youth agenda was on the table yeah the foreign policy around which is also uh the ministry of foreign affairs is addressing through machinani policy which has just begun the other day. I think these are one of the key uh issues that are going to uh continue this conversation of Africa forward uh because the equal uh the equal partners on board. It's not about that the France are bigger than us then somebody else will ask what was your alternative if you are to engage with another state and that's why I still thank his excellency the president seeing it suit that we start with this tomorrow we can go forward with China we can go we continue with the United States and other and other states and so this is very timely young people need opportunities barrows there is a lot of young people out here who are unemployed we we had a conversation on the Nova side sidelines.

[00:16:42]There was a Nova garage sideline side event that was unlocking a lot of opportunities on the youth who are in the creative economy, those who are in AI on Tik Toks and all that. Those are the opportunities that young people need to attend when there is international conference like this and tap in network link with some of these CEOs. Aliko Dangot was here. I had an opportunity to engage with him. We had other CEOs who are here. Yeah. But how many young people sponsored let's say by the ministry of foreign affairs?

[00:17:13]>> It was not about being sponsored. It is it is about looking for this opportunity and I I had an opportunity I shared on my social media. I don't know why you ad we actually >> yeah but I just want to bring to your attention that um we hit thematic areas and these thematic areas are going to be invested in that was the one when you look at the when when you look at some some of the deals that were made that they're going to be invested in and they are going to each partner are going to be accountable for each other in terms of the investments that they have done unlike for instance the SDGs we even move towards the end of it in the next four 3 years where we don't know the account who is who's to be held accountable about uh this SDG why didn't happen but for this one all the ministers who are there the the investors who are there on the end line of their signing of the deals they ensure that who is going to be accountable in this and if we're not able to achieve this and that's what uh I'm happy about as a young person in this country that uh Even as we look forward to those leaders that uh my good friend Aduma said in the NYC and the struggle that we have worked together that they will be able to align with um with with some of these investments that are coming so that they can unlock opportunities for young people and not use the voice the voices of the youth to leech to to to leach the voices of to use the opportunity of the of the young people in the country just for their own benefit and not to benefit a majority.

[00:18:51]Um I look forward like in our organization in university student leadership we have unlocked scholarships for learning the ones that we hate we used to have like for Tom Tom and so we want to unlock opportunities for many young people okay >> so that they can have opportunities and not just coming on TVs and complaining every day seeing something and looking for something to talk about that that will look like you said something but we must be very visionary and intentional as young people of this country in looking opportunities not not only within ourselves but also for the future.

[00:19:23]>> Wila, last word.

[00:19:24]>> Yeah, thank you. I think uh to not also forget the importance of having segments like this for young people to allow us to bring the voices of young people who cannot occupy these rooms. Very important. I think Muhammad touched on uh history and the Africa Ford summit is a rebrand of Frank Africa which essentially was where you know the colonial masters still came back to make sure they had tentacles within the French colonies. So if that is the premise then that's why we saw when uh president Macron told you know people to keep quiet h people already dressed him in the you know in the regalia of the colon the colonizers so I think even as we're looking at history there's part of history where was also supposed to heal and we cannot say that you know the French have been through and through good so there's no better colonial master that we have had um in the course of time So my problem with uh this >> as concisely as you can so that we can look at some feedback.

[00:20:26]>> Yeah. My problem with this is that uh we are having investment of f French companies actually in Kenya over 140 subsidiaries and they're investing in things that Kenyans themselves can do like logistics. Why are we having companies running logistics in Kenya while there are so many uh Kenyans who are capable of doing the same? So when we are talking about collaboration, cooperation and meeting as equals, then we need to be looking at stuff like that. When you're talking about retail, I mean Kenyans are not short of supermarkets or even the knowhow to run these things. So uh when we're talking about them coming, I think it's also for them to invest in areas where they have something that we do not so that when we meet then we are bringing in these different things. I think important for us to know as young people that 11 treaties, 11 bilateral agreements were signed and a lot of money was allocated towards these things like the commuter rail is 12.5 billion like development of finance and logistics is 104 billion. My thing is this. We know the government has taken a lot from young people and from public coffers. And it is for us now as young people to keep an eye on those things. And I want to suggest a youth summit to go through these things so that young people benefit from the 11 bilateral agreements that were signed.

[00:21:47]We want to be in the table as negotiators and also as equals. All right, that's our cue to wind up. Now quickly looking back at your feedback.

[00:21:57]All right, who do we have?

[00:22:02]This is Tim team Kenya Olive. What is happening on fuel is a clear indication that Kenyan problems are planned and manufactured deliberately. They so they want to collect money to fill corruption buckets and they will reduce it by 10 bobb to fool us. We are keen.

[00:22:18]MC rem does this government really care about common mananchi fuel price increase will see an increase of prices of essential commodities the government has been issuing nonsensical explanations about this whole fuel saga it seems we are on our own Michael about fuel prices it's often said that this is beyond the government's control but I don't agree some say we must keep paying high fuel taxes because of debts but who borrowed those debts was it ordinary Kenyans some of those debts cannot even be properly accounted for. Francoinde, the latest latest opinion polls confirm one thing.

[00:22:53]The next presidential election is still wide open. Political formations may shape headlines, but voters are increasingly demanding solutions, credibility, and economic stability over empty promises.

[00:23:04]Remy Byahoo says, "While opinion polls like Tifa provide useful snapshots of public sentiment, they do not always capture the full picture on the ground.

[00:23:13]Many Kenyans still resonate with R's bottom up economic model and his focus on uplifting ordinary citizens. We have many more but unfortunately because of time I will have to end it there. Allow me to thank Muhammad Bashir, political scientist Benjamin Kappa of V 3738. Uh we have uh Wilkista uh who is the founder of uh run for run for office. Uh we've also had uh Joshua uh Okayo who is an advocate and we have also had with us a youth leader her name is El Nino Esther and last but not least Albert Maloba Ed USA University Student Leaders Association. Thank you so much. Have yourself a good weekend.