Nairobi — French Emmanuel Macron briefly interrupted proceedings at a youth forum hosted at the University of Nairobi on Monday after calling out sections of the audience for disrupting a speaker during discussions at the Africa Forward Summit.
The incident occurred during a panel discussion at a side event attended by President William Ruto and Macron, where the two leaders engaged young people on technology, education reforms, innovation and Africa’s digital future.
As noise levels in the auditorium rose while a speaker was addressing the audience, Macron walked to the stage, took the microphone and addressed the audience, expressing frustration over the interruption.
“Excuse me, everybody. Hey, hey, hey,” Macron said.
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“I’m sorry guys, but it’s impossible to speak about culture to have people like that super inspired coming here, making a speech with such a noise.”
The French President described the disruption as disrespectful and urged attendees holding side conversations to step outside the venue.
“So this is a total lack of respect,” Macron stated.
“So I suggest if you want to have bilaterals or speak about somebody else, I mean something else, you have bilateral rooms or you go outside. If you want to stay here, we listen to the people and we’re playing the same game, okay? Thank you.”
The hall fell silent following the remarks, with sections of the audience applauding as Macron handed back the microphone.
“And this, ladies and gentlemen, is cold leadership,” a moderator remarked afterward.
Ruto hails education reforms
Speaking at the forum, President Ruto defended Kenya’s Competency-Based Education (CBE) reforms, saying they are aimed at preparing learners for a rapidly evolving global labour market driven by technology and artificial intelligence.
“The previous education system was about how much you could remember, memorise and regurgitate,” Ruto said.
The President noted that the reforms are designed to align education with current labour market demands, particularly through a strong emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Ruto also highlighted Kenya’s investments in digital infrastructure, including the laying of 30,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable, saying the country is positioning itself as a continental innovation hub.
Macron, speaking at the same forum, commended Kenya’s digital transformation efforts and urged African countries to invest in computing capacity, energy generation and AI infrastructure.
The youth forum formed part of activities under the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, which has brought together dozens of Heads of State, policymakers, entrepreneurs and young innovators from across the continent.
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