Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani closed the Italy-Kenya Business Forum, held yesterday in Rome, together with the President of the Republic of Kenya, William Ruto, and the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi. Over 200 Italian companies participated in the event, which consisted of four thematic sessions dedicated to infrastructure, energy and connectivity; agri-food and leather industry; tourism; as well as innovation and finance.
The Forum was an important opportunity to strengthen economic relations and sign agreements and understandings.
In the field of development cooperation, Minister Tajani and his counterpart signed the “CLICCAR” program – aimed at strengthening climate resilience in the country’s arid and semi-arid areas (€4 million) – and the “PEACE” project – dedicated to improving services for victims of gender-based violence and promoting women’s economic independence (€4 million).
Kenya remains a priority partner for Italian Development Cooperation, with ongoing initiatives – both in the development and emergency areas – worth a total of approximately €170 million. These initiatives are complemented by a portfolio of UE delegated cooperation initiatives, worth approximately €14 million, managed by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).
In the economic sphere, an agreement was also signed between SACE, SIMEST, and Assomac, aimed at providing financial support for the internationalization of the leather supply chain in Kenya, and a €30 million loan from Cassa Depositi e Prestiti SPA to Equity Bank (Kenya) Limited, designed to expanding the Kenyan bank’s credit portfolio for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.
Minister Tajani also signed the Agreement on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, which aims to strengthen judicial cooperation in criminal matters, particularly regarding the transfer of convicted persons in the absence of an applicable international instrument between Italy and Kenya.
A key country for the implementation of the Mattei Plan, Kenya is one of Italy’s most dynamic markets in sub-Saharan Africa, thanks to its strategic location and the presence of special economic zones. In 2025, bilateral trade reached €280 million, a 34.1% increase compared to 2024. The large Italian community of approximately 2,000 people, mostly active along the coast, also contributes to the country’s development.
Minister Tajani finally held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mudavadi. During the meeting, bilateral relations within the framework of the Mattei Plan and key regional and international issues were discussed, with particular attention to the situation in Sudan and security trends and dynamics in the Horn of Africa.
