This site uses technical (necessary) and analytics cookies.
By continuing to browse, you agree to the use of cookies.

Italy and Kenya

BILATERAL VISITS

  • May 27th –30th 2025 (Nairobi): Mission to Kenya by the Undersecretary of State, Claudio Barbaro, Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, on the occasion of the Resumed Session of the Second UN-Habitat Assembly.
  • May 25th –27th 2025 (Nairobi): Mission to Kenya by Hon. Fausta Bergamotto, Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy.
  • September 30th– October 2nd 2024 (Nairobi): Official visit to the Republic of Kenya by H.E. Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy and Head of Space Affairs.
  • June 14 – 15, 2024 (Borgo Egnazia): Participation of the President of Kenya, William Ruto, in the G7 Summit outreach session organized by the Italian Presidency.
  • May 20 – 23, 2024 (Nairobi): Visit of the Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, Senator Claudio Barbaro, within the framework of the Ninth World Energy Efficiency Conference.
  • March 17 – 19, 2024 (Nairobi): Joint mission of the Italian Cooperation system in East Africa (representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), UNIDO, FAO, Illy Caffè, and Lavazza).
  • January 29 – February 1, 2024 (Nairobi): Visit of the Special Envoy, Minister Plenipotentiary Stefano Ravagnan, on the occasion of the Global Coalition against Daesh Conference.
  • January 29, 2024 (Rome): Visit of the President of Kenya, William Ruto, within the framework of the Italy-Africa Summit.
  • September 4-8, 2023 (Nairobi): Visit of the Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, Senator Claudio Barbaro, on the occasion of the Africa Climate Summit.
  • June 5-9, 2023 (Nairobi): Visit of the Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, Senator Claudio Barbaro, on the occasion of the Second UN-Habitat Assembly.
  • March 13-16, 2023 (Nairobi): State Visit of the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, to the Republic of Kenya.
  • June 13-14, 2022 (Nairobi): Visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi Di Maio, and meetings with the President of the Republic, Uhuru Kenyatta, the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Raychelle Omamo, and the Cabinet Secretary for ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs, Joseph Mucheru.
  • June 27, 2021 (Rome): Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi Di Maio – Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Raychelle Omamo, on the sidelines of the Anti-Daesh Ministerial Conference.
  • November 7, 2020 (Rome): Meeting at the Quirinale between the President of the Republic, Uhuru Kenyatta, and the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella.
  • Archive of Bilateral Visits

 

CURRENT AGREEMENTS

 

Current agreements between Italy and Kenya are available for consultation on the new A.T.R.I.O portal (Online International Treaties Archive) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Agreements predating independence, stipulated with Great Britain and to which Kenya succeeded:

  • Italo-British Convention for the Reciprocal Extradition of Fugitive Criminals (1873);
  • Italo-British Convention on Judicial Assistance in Civil and Commercial Matters (1930).

 

 

KENYA’S POLITICAL AND INSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM

Kenya is a Presidential Republic, independent since December 1963. The new Constitution was approved on August 27, 2010, replacing the one adopted with the Declaration of Independence. The March 2013 elections sanctioned the definitive transition to the pure Presidential system, structured around a state order that gives ample space to local autonomies, in response to the need to give adequate representation to Kenya’s complex ethnic-tribal mosaic.

The President is elected with an absolute majority at the national level plus 25% in at least half of the 47 new Counties into which the Constitution divides the national territory. An Upper House of Parliament, representative of local autonomies, has also been established. It has 47 members representing the counties, 16 members nominated by political parties based on their representation, 2 youth representatives, and two members representing persons with disabilities.

Another major novelty introduced by the Constitution is the reform of land ownership. A national land commission, independent of the Government, was established to investigate “historical injustices” in the distribution of public land. The Constitution also limits the maximum size of privately owned land and abolishes unlimited ownership for foreigners, transforming it into limited possession for 99 years (under the “leasing” formula derived from Anglo-Saxon law). This measure was adopted last August.

Further principal innovations of the new constitutional text concern the transfer of certain powers and competences from the central State to the Counties, the introduction of a Bill of Rights, the establishment of a High Court with the functions of a final court of appeal and a constitutional court, and finally, the abolition of the office of Prime Minister.

The most recent presidential, parliamentary, and county elections were held in 2017 and confirmed President Uhuru Kenyatta as the head of the Kenyan executive for a second consecutive term.