Kenya is among the leading countries at the Italy-Africa summit starting today in Rome.
President William Ruto arrived in the Italian capital yesterday and will be one of the 25 heads of state or government attending the meeting, introduced by Italian President Sergio Mattarella and led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which will present the so-called 'Mattei Plan' for the African continent.

Kenya's presence is by no means a due act, but it is one of those that count most, as it will be one of the pilot countries in the first projects and joint initiatives to introduce a new policy "not predatory, but neither exclusively charitable" (as Meloni said) towards Africa, based on security, green economy, energy and production chains, with a focus on reducing and regulating migratory flows.
But Ruto's presence, as the Kenyan leader himself confirmed before his departure, is of additional importance: in fact, he will also be in private talks with our Prime Minister to follow up on the agreements on which the foundations were laid with Mattarella's visit last March.

Among the many open issues of the bilateral agreements between the two countries, as the two interlocutors had announced in Nairobi, there are also those concerning the double taxation of import-export products and probably also that concerning the double taxation that also regulates the pensions of those who come to Kenya from Italy.
But strategic issues also concern the construction of the two dams at Arror and Kimwarer, for the construction of which two Italian companies had been involved and which, by Ruto's own admission, should be entrusted to Italian companies again, with full availability from Rome.

Last but not least, on the plate of negotiations and agreements, is the situation of the Luigi Broglio space centre in Ngomeni, which is preparing to become another strategic pole for the whole of sub-Saharan Africa and which the Italian government, in close collaboration with Kenya and with the idea of developing aeronautics and space engineering in the country, would like to turn back into a satellite launching base, as it has not been since 1988.
Also in view of the 'Mattei Plan', therefore, the summit in Rome is of great importance and from here not only new guidelines for collaboration between the two countries could emerge, but also various opportunities for companies, private individuals, and consequently also for Kenya's attractiveness to our country, investors, and even tourism.