One of the most beautiful settings ever, as far as Kenya's 2 June celebrations are concerned, by the Italian Embassy in Nairobi. And it could not have been otherwise: as Ambassador Roberto Natali recalled, 2024 marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between Italy and Kenya and this year also proved crucial for bilateral relations, after the boost given last year by the visit of the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, to Nairobi at the invitation of Kenyan President William Ruto.
Ruto was then one of the protagonists, among African leaders, at the Italy-Africa summit last January, where the Meloni government presented the Mattei Plan for Africa, a new approach to cooperation and investment that sees Kenya among the pilot countries chosen by Rome.
In all this, the European Union's recent agreements with Nairobi foresee the zeroing of customs duties for Kenya towards Europe and gradually also those of the Old Continent in the African country.
In short, the premises for an inclusive celebration, of great mutual interest and the usual promotion of ‘Made in Italy’ starting with food and wine, were all there.
If we also add classical music, with a piano and violin duo that proposed the beauty of our historical compositions, a tribute to Giacomo Puccini, on the centenary of the great musician's death, and the inauguration of the exhibition on the scientist Luigi Broglio, who bet on Malindi in 1966 to launch the world's first satellites from the Equator, the recipe for a perfect evening was served, thanks also to the professionalism of chef Luca Mastromattei and a series of partners, including the best importers of Italian products and many businesses that sponsored the event, ensuring the best possible outcome.
Apart from words, the best testimony, as always, is that offered by our live broadcast on Sunday evening, on the Italians in Kenya Youtube channel, which you can see below.