Malindikenya.net, on 6 February, was the first site in Italian to break the news of Italian President Sergio Mattarella's visit. An historic event, because it will be the first time a Head of State has visited the country since its independence sixty years ago.
A visit that was announced but only materialised, with its official programme, last Saturday with the Quirinale's official communiqué.
Mattarella, with the delegation of the Presidency of the Republic, with his daughter Laura and Deputy Foreign Minister Edmondo Cirielli, will land this evening at Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and will begin official visits tomorrow, among which the meeting with Kenyan President William Ruto at State House obviously stands out. A very full agenda that will include, after the most high-profile morning, in which economic, security and bilateral relations issues will be discussed, a look at cooperation on Tuesday afternoon, with an appointment at one of the centres created thanks to an Italian non-governmental organisation, the AVSI Foundation.

On Wednesday, instead, it will be Mattarella's turn for an important visit, the one to the Luigi Broglio Space Centre in Ngomeni, near Malindi, the pride of our history and expertise in Kenya. A lightning visit together with the top management of the Italian Space Agency to signify the importance of the presence of space technology in the country, also for the benefit of collaborations with universities and technicians.
Sergio Mattarella will return to Nairobi in the evening for a brief greeting to his compatriots who live and work in Kenya at the residence of the Italian Ambassador, and the next day he will give a speech at the University of Nairobi and see for himself the initiatives of the Italian business accelerator E4Impact, set up at the instigation of the Italian Cooperation and managed by the Moratti Foundation, with the collaboration of Milan's Cattolica University.
All this before leaving for Rome.

Our President of the Republic's visit to Kenya is an intense programme that has by no means a purely symbolic value, but takes place at a historic moment when the two countries are, in Ruto's own words, 'consolidating a lasting relationship of mutual esteem'. The Quirinale itself, in its communiqué, describes Kenya as 'an economic and political model' within its continent and dwells on its great potential, especially in the field of communications and new technologies. On various tables (for this the presence of the Deputy Foreign Minister is indicative) there are also talks on bilateral agreements, for an evolution of relations that could reserve facilities for businesses and other ties in the future. Memoranda of understanding should also be signed to finalise some platforms in the near future.
Malindikenya.net is in Nairobi these days to tell you about the President's days and their implications for those who care about Kenya and live here.