"Italy's Interior Minister Piantedosi Concludes Landmark Mission to Kenya" by Carlo Coppola
On July 1 and 2, Italy's Minister of the Interior Affairs, Matteo Piantedosi, carried out an official mission to Kenya — the first-ever visit by a head of the Viminale to the country. The mission forms part of the broader strengthening of bilateral relations promoted under the Mattei Plan for Africa, which places Kenya among the priority countries in Italy's renewed strategy for the continent. The visit also laid the groundwork for a bilateral security cooperation agreement expected to be formalized in the coming months.
During the visit, two cooperation instruments were signed in Nairobi. With Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Interior, Kipchumba Murkomen, Minister Piantedosi signed a Letter of Intent that paves the way toward a full bilateral security cooperation agreement. The signing was witnessed by Italy's Ambassador to Kenya, Dr. Vincenzo Del Monaco, alongside Principal Secretary Omollo and his Immigration and Citizen Services counterpart, Dr. Belio Kipsang, among other senior officials from both governments.
Under the Letter of Intent, the two countries will designate contact points to support joint planning and the sharing of strategic cooperation initiatives at both bilateral and multilateral levels. Kenyan authorities indicated the arrangement is expected to support ongoing negotiations toward a broader security agreement, and Cabinet Secretary Murkomen welcomed what he described as Italy's integrated approach, recognizing the close link between development, migration management and security. On the operational side, cooperation will notably involve institutional exchanges between Kenya's National Police Service and Italy's Carabinieri, aimed at transferring expertise in public order management, counter-narcotics operations and financial investigations.
With Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi, a separate Memorandum of Understanding on migration and mobility was signed, aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two countries on managing migration flows, preventing irregular immigration and carrying out repatriations, while at the same time developing legal channels of entry. The Memorandum also establishes a framework for intergovernmental cooperation on regular labour migration, skills development and the protection of migrant workers.
Speaking to local press, Piantedosi stressed that the visit was not simply about signing ceremonies, but about launching a broader process in which Kenya has been identified as a migration-policy partner, making the alignment of security approaches a foundational first step rather than an end in itself. He pointed to Italy's strategic position in the Mediterranean and Kenya's role as a gateway to sub-Saharan Africa as key pillars of the deepening relationship between Europe and Africa. Notably, Italy is reportedly considering including Kenya among the countries deemed "safe" for migration purposes, potentially proposing that the European Union align its approach toward Kenya with that already applied to countries such as India, Colombia, Bangladesh, Kosovo and Tunisia — a move that could also open new work and training opportunities in Italy for Kenyan citizens. The Minister further met with Kenya's Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja Kirocho, to deepen operational cooperation between the two countries' police forces, particularly in combating terrorism, drug trafficking and human trafficking.
Describing Kenya as "a strategic partner for Italy," Piantedosi underlined the shared commitment to building cooperation grounded in security and the orderly management of migration and returns, while developing legal migration pathways in parallel.
The mission follows the State visit to Italy by Kenya's President William Ruto in April 2026, and comes against a backdrop of intensifying diplomatic engagement: since January 2024, around ten official visits by Italian ministers and undersecretaries have taken place, reflecting the rapid development of diplomatic and economic ties and Kenya's growing role as a reference country for Italian policy in East Africa and the continent as a whole.
Carlo Coppola
