The Ambassador of Italy to Kenya, Roberto Natali, attended the ceremony in memory of Italian soldiers who died in British prison camps in East Africa.
The ceremony took place at the Italian shrine in the town of Nyeri, inside the Consolata mission that donated the church and outdoor space to honour the memory of over 700 compatriots who lost their lives from 1941 to 1946, after being taken prisoner in Ethiopia and deported to 15 detention camps scattered across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

Natali spoke in front of a large group of Italian residents, representatives of Comites Kenya and some Italian religious missions in Kenya, with the presence of the Carabinieri in 'great historical uniform', to coincide with National Unity and Armed Forces Day.
"This event has a profound symbolic meaning," said Natali in his speech, a veritable excursus on the absurdity of every conflict, "because in addition to celebrating national unity and the Armed Forces, we also remember our soldiers who died in captivity in this region of Africa. The compatriots, whose remains are gathered in the Nyeri shrine, died far from home and their loved ones, simply for obeying their country or because they were convinced that they were participating in a just war. Even today, current events force us to reflect on the concept of 'just war', which throughout history has been the cause of countless tragedies'.

Natali continued his moving speech with quotations from St Augustine to Jacques Prevert and by announcing his intention to have some relatives of the victims at next year's celebrations.

"But in any case," he concluded, "the spirit and the mortal remains of our soldiers are here in Nyeri and we have a moral duty to remember them with this solemn ceremony.
On the sidelines of the ceremony and the suffrage mass, celebrated by Father Maurizio Binaghi, the Comites Kenya organised a convivial event, making a day of remembrance and against all wars, an extra opportunity for Italians in Kenya to socialise.