"We are extremely satisfied to have reached the approval of an important cooperation agreement between Italy and Kenya that concerns the Malindi area and particularly the Magarini sub-county".
These are the words of the Ambassador of Italy in Kenya Alberto Pieri to Malindikenya.net, after the signing, which took place Wednesday, January 26 in Nairobi in the presence of the Minister of Treasury Ukur Yatani and the Director for Kenya of the Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development (AICS) Fabio Melloni, for the financing and implementation of the second phase of the "Malindi Integrated Social-Health Development Program".
This is a soft loan of 6.4 million euros and will aim to improve the living conditions of the population in the sub-counties of Malindi and Magarini, through a series of projects that will contribute to socio-economic development. These projects, as confirmed by the Italian Agency for Cooperation and Development, will include education, health, drinking water and transport network. In particular, one of the main projects concerns the construction of an 11.5 km tarmac road on the Ngomeni peninsula, which will connect the village overlooking the bay of Ungwana to the Malindi-Lamu highway.
Other initiatives include the implementation of a pedestrian bridge over the Sabaki River, a water supply system, school facilities, and supply and installation of equipment for schools and health facilities. The implementation will be undertaken by the Coastal Development Authority of Kenya (CDA), which also completed the implementation of the first phase of the program, which from 2006 to 2012, thanks to a grant of 2.6 million euros saw the implementation of other infrastructure in the areas of health, education and blue economy.
"Today we have finalized a path that began three years ago - added Pieri - laying the foundations for a development program that will provide public infrastructure in a region where the Italian presence has always been very strong. In fact, this agreement confirms and strengthens the collaboration between Italy and Kenya in the field of development cooperation, with particular attention to the needs of local communities. From this point of view we welcome with pleasure the congratulations of the Minister of Treasury of Kenya Ukur Yatani. The next fundamental step will be to move to the concrete phase of implementation, as well as the definition of other projects in other counties of Kenya to be finalized in the near future".
Great satisfaction also from the outgoing director of AICS in Kenya, Fabio Melloni, who in an interview with Malindikenya.net (HERE'S THE ARTICLE) had outlined the goal of being able to reach this agreement before the end of his term.