From cooking ugali to jogging and podium rebuke, the light side of Macron

France President Emmanuel Macron taking a selfie with Marathon great Eliud Kipchoge in Nairobi.[ Courtesy]

When French President Emmanuel Macron landed in Nairobi for a high-level summit on Sunday, few people expected that he would trade his designer suits for running apparel or a chef’s apron.

In the city, it was not his motorcade that first caught attention, but more the sportsman in him as he matched pace with Kenya’s finest.

Weaved in between high-level talks, policy briefs and bilateral talks with over 30 African and global leaders and over 5,000 delegates at the Africa Forward Summit was a lighter side of the French leader not usually seen in public.

On Monday, Macron joined legendary athlete and former marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge for an early morning run along the city streets, catching residents unaware.

Donning a navy-blue jersey and a matching short, he cut the figure of just another jogger out to keep fit in the chilly weather.

Contrary to expectations, traffic flowed normally, most motorists oblivious to the statesman’s run. “We are used to runners within the city in the morning and I did not give any heed to the high-profile activity,” said one on social media.

At some point, Macron was seen chatting animatedly with pupils at the State House Primary School, even peeping through a window and signalling the children in one class to come out.

Macron and Kipchoge were mobbed by the learners. At one time Macron was seen chatting with a young boy who just wanted to know who the man who had caused all the commotion was.

“I am Emmanuel,” said the president, who then whisked Kipchoge to continue with the run.

“Moments like these remind me that running is more than movement. It is a universal language that connects people, cultures, and ideas,” said Kipchoge on a social media page he shared with President Macron.

It was not lost on observers that during his State House tour, he took note of a framed photo of Sebastian Sawe, the young Kenyan who recently broke the two-hour marathon barrier. Macron was seen pointing to Sawe’s shoes, perhaps alluding the runner’s ability to the Adida’s footwear.

Macron’s sporting enthusiasm was further witnessed later in the day at the University of Nairobi grounds where he joined other heads of state, including President William Ruto, for a brief soccer match.

“Sport is health, education and growth. Let’s hit it hard,” he later wrote on Instagram.

The French president’s love of soccer is well known. In April 2024, Macron joined international football legends Didier Drogba and Eden Hazard for a charity match in Yvelines, west of Paris where the President played as midfielder.

According to The Independent newspaper of the UK, Macron’s posturing as a sportsperson is a “way to brandish a dynamic image as modern France’s youngest-ever president”.

In Nairobi, Macron was not done yet with his “off-the-record” engagements. At some point, he joined the roaming chef, Dennis Ombachi on his balcony kitchen where the two prepared a dish of ugali and sukuma wiki.

French President Emmanuel Macron met renowned Kenyan content creator Dennis Ombachi prepared a traditional meal of Ugali and Sukuma Wiki. [Courtesy]

Macron, with his shirt rolled to the elbows, was seen frying the vegetables in a pan as Ombachi stirred the ugali. The chef, who is known for his quick meal turnaround, must have cracked jokes with the president, proving that culinary diplomacy can be as powerful as policy.

But what may have caught many by surprise was his public rebuke of noisemakers at one of the summit venues. The session at the university was being addressed by several artistes and young entrepreneurs.

However, it became difficult to follow the proceedings following the noise from the audience. Unable to hold back anymore, Macron moved to the stage where the moderator mistook his approach for an early speech.

Taking the microphone from her, Macron spoke in a steady but firm voice: “Excuse me everybody! Hey! Hey! Hey! I am sorry guys but it is impossible to speak about culture, to have people like that, super inspired, coming here, making speech, with such a noise.”

The hall went silent before the crowd applauded. But he was not done yet: “This is a total lack of respect. So, I suggest, if you want to have bilaterals, or speak about someone…. aah… something else, you have bilateral rooms, or you go outside. If you want to stay here, we listen to the people, and we play to the same game. Okay? Thank you.”

The audience must have been stung by his forthrightness, a man who is usually composed even when receiving hard epithets from US President Donald Trump. 

His brief but tough stance got tons of reportage globally. Some praised him, while others felt this was a form of patronage from the French.

The Africa Forward summit may be over with dozens of bilaterals signed, but Macron’s exploits away from the red carpets will linger in the minds and hearts of many.

Writing on social media, a former member of parliament in Zimbabwe, Fadzayi Mahere, said Macron’s remarks smacked of such patronage, arguing that a visitor to France would hardly do such a thing.

“I don’t believe it is courteous to come onto our continent and talk down at people like this,” she said. “These are not your kids. Don’t be condescending. Imagine if a guest of the state did the same in your country. Would it fly? I don’t think so.”

She suggested that any engagement must be “underpinned by an overarching respect for the hosts”.