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Adelle Onyango says she rejected Africa Forward Summit invite
11th May, 2026 11:18 PM
Media personality Adelle Onyango has revealed that she turned down invitations to be part of the Africa Forward Summit.
The media personality shared her feelings online and said she wanted nothing to do with the event. Adelle explained that she was unhappy with the people involved in the summit.
“Disgusted by everyone involved in this. Got a few calls to be part of this summit and I said no,” Adelle Onyango said on Monday, May 11, 2026.
Her statement quickly drew attention as conversations around the Africa Forward Summit continued online. Adelle did not give more details about the reason behind her reaction, but made it clear that she had rejected the invitations she received.
The former radio queen explained that she chose not to take part in the summit despite being contacted several times.
“Got a few calls to be part of this summit and I said no,” Adelle Onyango repeated in her statement.
Different reactions around the summit
While Adelle rejected the summit invitation, other Kenyan celebrities appeared comfortable being linked to the event. Music star Bien-Aimé Baraza was among the public figures spotted during a high-profile diplomatic dinner in Nairobi connected to French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Kenya. The singer attended the events held on May 10, 2026.
Bien was described as one of the distinguished guests during the diplomatic meetings. The former Sauti Sol member was also seen sharing a moment with President Macron during a dinner on May 10, 2026. His appearance at the summit events showed a very different approach from Adelle’s decision to stay away.
At the same time, Eddie Butita publicly apologised to President Macron after missing the French-Africa Summit. Butita explained that travel delays in Shenzhen stopped him from attending the event. He said he had hoped to take part in conversations about Africa’s creative economy.
“My sincere apologies to French President Emmanuel Macron for not being able to attend the French-Africa Summit due to unavoidable delays in Shenzhen,” Butita said.
The comedian explained that the delays prevented him from making it to the summit on time. His statement came after Adelle openly spoke against the event and revealed that she had rejected the invitation. The different reactions from Kenyan celebrities have continued to place the summit in public discussion.
The summit, held in Nairobi on May 11–12, aims to redefine the Africa-France partnership through a lens of innovation and growth.
As part of the festivities, President Ruto and President Macron are expected to host a selection of the “World’s Best Artistes,” highlighting the burgeoning role of the creative economy in international relations.
