President William Ruto met with Italian Ambassador to Kenya Vincenzo Del Monaco at State House, Nairobi, on Friday, January 23, to discuss expanding cooperation between the two nations in trade, youth skills development, and education.
The meeting, highlighted in a social media statement, underscored the long-standing friendship between Kenya and Italy. President Ruto reaffirmed the country’s commitment to partnerships that promote economic growth and deliver direct benefits to citizens.
"Kenya and Italy enjoy cordial relations built on mutual respect and shared interests. We are keen on deepening our cooperation in priority areas to advance shared prosperity and deliver tangible benefits to our people," the President said.
Key discussions focused on supporting Kenya’s coffee and leather industries, sectors that play a major role in generating employment and sustaining the economy. The leaders also explored strategies for enhancing technical training colleges to equip young people with practical skills for the job market.
"Our discussions focused on strengthening cooperation to support the coffee and leather value chains, as well as collaboration in the development of technical training colleges to empower the youth," President Ruto added.
They also reviewed pending bilateral initiatives, including accelerating the launch of the Itare Dam project, an important infrastructure undertaking for Kenya’s development agenda.
The meeting came shortly after Ambassador Del Monaco held talks with Kenyan education officials to deepen higher education partnerships. On January 19, he visited Dr. Beatrice Muganda Inyangala, Principal Secretary for the State Department for Higher Education and Research.
"Today, the Ambassador of the Italian Republic to Kenya, H.E. Vincenzo Del Monaco, paid a courtesy call for an engagement meeting. The visit focused on reviewing and fast-tracking the draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening Ministry-to-Ministry partnerships," Dr. Muganda said.
The planned MoU will support greater collaboration between universities in both countries, aiming to improve efficiency, clarify responsibilities, and enhance academic cooperation.
