The shift was highlighted during recent engagements between the two governments, including the visit of Italy’s Minister for Universities and Research Anna Bernini and the launch of the Nairobi AI Forum.

A trilateral AI partnership between Italy, India and Kenya was also signed on February 19 on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, aligning with Rome’s Mattei Plan — a cooperation model between Italy, the EU and African states.

The deal aims to deploy AI systems at scale in sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education and public services.

Speaking to the Star, Italian Ambassador Vincenzo Del Monaco said the relationship between the two countries is entering a “very positive cycle” as cooperation expands beyond traditional sectors to research, innovation and technology.

“The motto is alignment. This means we must remain open to building an evolving agenda because it is not set in stone,” he said.

“We need to keep our eyes open and our antennae raised so we can continuously exchange information at a bilateral level and adjust accordingly. This is why, in my opinion, alignment is a key word and a compass.”

The envoy said Kenya’s strong digital ecosystem and youthful population make it well positioned to benefit from emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.

Here are excerpts from the interview.

The Star: What are your immediate and long-term priorities during your tour of duty?

Amb Vincenzo Del Monaco: My priority is to strengthen what already exists and then expand the menu to offer a wider variety of options. We already have sectors I would describe as mature and successful, but we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. We need to be creative, visualise the new dynamics and strongest parts of the country, and build on these to shape a future-oriented agenda together. This is my priority in broad terms.

Which sectors will you focus on?

We have a proven track record of success in political relations at the highest level. In 2023, Italy’s President visited Kenya on a state visit for the first time. President [William] Ruto has likewise visited Italy several times and is due to return on an official visit soon.

My Prime Minister and your President met during the Italy-Africa summit and then at the African Union summit the following day, as Prime Minister [Giorgia] Meloni was invited to address the Assembly as the guest of honour.

Building on the political dialogue, we are expanding our cooperation around three pillars: people, prosperity and planet.

Take coffee, for example. Italy is collaborating with around 30,000 local producers to develop the country's coffee supply chain. These are very meaningful numbers.

Moreover, Eni is collaborating with about 100,000 local workers to produce biofuels. This is achieved without taking land from agricultural fields, but rather from semi-arid, arid and uncultivated land.

The Italian company Impresa Costruzioni Giuseppe Maltauro has constructed heavy infrastructure in Konza, which aligns with Kenya’s priorities. My objective is to leverage these successful foundations of cooperation by adding elements related to science, research, innovation and universities.

Italy, Kenya and UNDP co-hosted the Nairobi AI Forum this month. What were the key deliverables?

We didn't bring a conference to Nairobi to discuss how important AI is — that discussion is long gone. Instead, we focused on the role of the private sector outside the traditional framework of international aid and on co-creation with Kenya and Africa.

Kenya and Africa do not need assistance in the field of tech but collaboration, and Italy can be a gateway for Africa to facilitate access to Western markets and capital. This is the significance of the Venture Capital Fund announced in Nairobi by Harmonic Innovation Group and Primo Capital.

The Forum started with deliverables, not theories.

First, the co-design of a $10 billion initiative with the AfDB, which aims to create up to 45 million jobs by 2035 through infrastructure and entrepreneurship funding.

The second deliverable was the Harmonic Africa start-up acceleration programme, launched to provide capital, technical support and global market access for high-growth AI start-ups.

The third is a new space-enabled partnership for food security using satellite data and AI to strengthen agriculture and climate resilience.

A cyber-security readiness initiative was announced to train and support African AI start-ups in building secure and trusted systems. This is under the framework of the Undersecretary for AI for Development, one of the concrete legacies of Italy’s G7 presidency in 2024.

President Sergio Mattarella’s state visit to Kenya marked a high point in bilateral relations. How is the embassy ensuring agreements translate into programmes and investments?

A presidential visit is the highest possible visit in the diplomatic realm. It elevates relations and leaves a mark in the history of bilateral ties. This is why expectations are high from the visit of President Ruto to Rome.

In 2023, an MoU on political dialogue was signed at the Foreign Affairs ministries level, and its implementation is proceeding smoothly. We are seeing intensified exchanges of visits, consultations and meetings, also on the margins of international fora.

The visit by the Minister of Universities and Research feeds into that picture. The visit offered the opportunity to address priorities such as mobility of researchers, scientists and young people. An MoU was also signed with Education CS Julius Ogamba.

During President Mattarella’s visit, an agreement on development cooperation was signed, and today we have 45 ongoing projects worth 150 million euros. They are unfolding well and span an array of key sectors.

We have another meaningful project supported by the EU Global Gateway programme on the water level of Lake Baringo.

Italy is happy to partner with Germany’s GIZ. There is also the new maternity and child ward at the Malindi hospital and the construction of the road connecting the space base in Malindi to the coastal main road.

Dialogue is proceeding smoothly. It is essential that we keep assessing the implementation of these projects while conceptualising new ones.

Italy and Kenya have a long history in space cooperation through the Space Centre in Malindi. How do you view the future of this partnership amidst parliamentary queries and renewed interest by other powers in the sector?

I live in the real world, not the world of film. We have been working together in Malindi since 1963. Huge progress has been made and the results are visible. Kenya plays a leading role in continental conversations on space.

I believe this is one of the effects of the success of our collaboration. When you have such a long history of partnership, there are times when you may not agree on everything — like in every happy marriage.

Italy’s President visited the space centre three years ago. On February 8, Minister Bernini visited the centre for the first time.

We also collaborate with NASA, the French Space Agency and the European Space Agency at the base. Following the launch of the Ariane rocket, Malindi is the final control point on Earth. The activities implemented at the base make a meaningful contribution to agriculture, disaster prevention and relief, and have considerable economic value.

Future collaboration initiatives and opportunities were also discussed. In a nutshell, I see a promising future for our bilateral space partnership.

Is there collaboration in data gathering and monitoring to address climate change?

At a bilateral level, we can contribute to addressing the root causes and effects of climate change. We are already doing so through projects such as the blue economy initiative involving your coastal counties and the Baringo Lake project supported by the Global Gateway. Kenya and Italy also collaborate closely at the UN level here in Nairobi.

Are there new partnerships in healthcare, medical research or capacity building?

This topic was part of the discussions between Minister Bernini and her Kenyan counterpart. Biotechnology is one of the issues mentioned and needs further exploration. We are assessing what more can be done together, building on already intense bilateral collaboration and technical exchanges. Italy is a global leader in pharmaceutical manufacturing, with exports reaching about $53.85 billion (Sh6.9 trillion) in 2024, making it the fifth-largest exporter worldwide.

Kenya is implementing an Affordable Housing programme. Does Italy see opportunities for collaboration?

We are open to collaboration in every area, although social housing is not yet on my radar. However, we can cooperate concretely in the field of smart cities, which make citizens' lives easier daily, especially given the pace of urbanisation in your country. I see enormous potential in conversations spanning smart cities, public transport and social housing.

On a related note, I would like to emphasise the importance of enhanced collaboration between law enforcement agencies and the judiciary. This urbanisation process goes hand in hand with the growing threat posed by organised crime and criminal gangs.

What initiatives is the embassy pursuing to deepen cultural exchange and boost tourism?

I have great respect for cultural diplomacy and am passionate about it because it is ‘free of charge’. It is never transactional. It is about sharing traditions, knowledge and friendship. It brings together young people and civil society and highlights the things that bind us together.

Behind culture there is also agriculture, scenery, the beauty of our landscapes and technology.

In November, I launched two initiatives at the National Museum of Kenya in Nairobi focusing on cuisine. The first featured 50 menus illustrating the evolution of Italian cuisine over the past 100 years. The main message was about embracing the future and change. Italian cuisine was recently added to the Unesco World Heritage List.

We also hosted Italian artist Tommaso Cascella, who built a table now part of the residence of the Italian Ambassador's collection. The table represents the place where bread is cut and meals are shared — a place where we also share ideas, ideals and the principles that bring Italy and Kenya together in the international community.

I am keen to play a significant role in promoting cultural diplomacy.

Are there collaborations in marketing Kenyan tourism in Italy?

Yes, definitely. But I don’t think Kenya needs to be advertised — it has scenery of biblical beauty.

If we look at the numbers, Italians are the second-largest group of tourists from Europe visiting Kenya after the UK. Around 100,000 Italians visit Kenya yearly.

I wish more Kenyans could visit Italy. On March 10, I will host a tourism promotion event at my residence in collaboration with Italian tour operators and Turkish Airlines.

What about sports tourism?

In November, when I organised the arts and cuisine event, I invited Tourism CS Rebecca Miano. We parked a beautiful, shiny, brand-new Ferrari outside the National Museum of Kenya.

I also invited Benson Kipruto, the Kenyan champion who won the New York Marathon this year — his coach is Italian.

So we had one of the fastest men on Earth and one of the fastest cars on Earth, and Italy was the common link. This illustrates how culture, sport and trade are interconnected — what I call the “diplomacy of growth”.