Four historic days in which the friendship between Italy and Kenya emerged decisively strengthened, and not just in words.
The visit of our Head of State Sergio Mattarella, and we have had the opportunity to repeat this several times, consolidated already good relations but above all built a bridge towards the future with the signing of important agreements, cooperation with loans and gifts to a total value of 100 million euro and the launch of the programme that will break down the tax barriers between the two countries, or rather the famous 'double taxation' that will facilitate transits and business, as well as transfers of goods or products. Beyond the economic discourse, Mattarella's presence in Kenya also opened up new scenarios on research and collaboration at a scientific, cultural and university level.

Significant in this sense was the speech given by the President of the Republic yesterday morning at the University of Nairobi on the effects of climate change, which he called 'an equal challenge for both Europe and Africa', just as he had already linked the climate crisis and drought to the problem of migration in his speech at State House on Tuesday.
One of the practical effects of these arguments will be the resumption of the construction of three dams in the north of the country, which had already been contracted to two Italian companies and which had been blocked due to both irregularities after the tender and the situation of one of the two companies involved. The issue had also led to the removal of the then Treasury Minister (Kenyatta government) Henri Rotich. The water projects are in addition to Eni's investments in Kenya, in the field of environmentally friendly fuel and renewable energy.

Finally, cooperation, with the signing of two memorandums of understanding with the Ruto government, to launch programmes to support both cultural and urban redevelopment. Yesterday, the President, accompanied as always by his daughter Laura, after university, met with the promoters of 'E4Impact', a business incubator that in five years has created over 450 Kenyan companies with an eye on sustainability. Letizia Moratti, the president of the organisation set up by the Development Cooperation Agency with the Cattolica University of Milan and a group of high-profile companies, illustrated to Mattarella some of these activities in the fields of agri-business, recycling and eco-sustainability. Also present was one of the jewels of Italian creativity, the Kilifi-based company 'Seedlings', created by Italian designer Roberto Gerosa and his Argentinean wife and colleague Fabiana Alcojor to save the baobabs of Kenya, creating valuable objects and accessories and setting in motion a production chain that provides work for entire communities.
As the President was able to ascertain and revealed during the meeting with the Italian community, an event that demonstrated his great humanity, "Kenyans are enthusiastic about Italians in Kenya," and this should be the fixed point, the injection of optimism, from which to prepare for a new departure towards a near present of mutual satisfaction, which should help Kenya to overcome this very difficult period of crisis and Italy to have the courage to invest in sub-Saharan Africa.