The relations between Italy and Kenya on the development cooperation domain have historical roots and have been formalised in 1985 through the signature of an Agreement. The Country has been considered for decades as a priority for the Italian Development Cooperation.
In March 2023, during the State Visit to Kenya of the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, the “Kenya-Italy Sustainable Development Partnership” has been signed. The document outlines the development priorities of the Italian intervention from 2023 to 2027, with a total budget of 100 million euros.
The initiatives currently implemented are in line with the “Kenya Vision 2030”, the strategic document of the Kenyan Government. They focus on three pillars of the United Nations Agenda 2030 (People, Planet and Prosperity) and can also be associated with five main areas:
- Agricultural Development, Forestry, Fishing, and Environment, especially in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) of the Country, for the development of resilient and sustainable agricultural systems;
- Women’s empowerment, human rights, and support for civil society, with initiatives aimed at protecting the rights of girls and women and combating gender-based violence;
- Urban Development and Infrastructure, to improve the living conditions of the population through an integrated strategy that includes enhancing infrastructure and related services, such as access to water and sanitation, education, and health care;
- Support for the private sector, to encourage entrepreneurship and foster job creation, with a focus on the inclusion of vulnerable groups such as youth and women;
- Access to basic services, such as water, education, healthcare, and energy, by the population.
The activities involve a dense network of partners: central and local government institutions; stakeholders of the “Italy system” (such as Italian Civil Society Organizations, which have a widespread presence in almost all counties in Kenya, research institutes, universities, and the private sector). With regard to the multilateral cooperation, in addition to Italian contributions to the UN system, agreements have been singed with specific UN Agencies (including UN WOMEN, UNIDO, and UNDRR) for the implementation of initiatives in various sectors (from gender-based violence, environment, risks and disaster prevention) and International Organizations, such as the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies of Bari (CIHEAM Bari), as well as the European Union.
Further insights and updates are available on the website of the Nairobi office of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).