The tourist season has recently ended, but the longing for Kenya remains and, indeed, is amplified by that 'saudade' that is called 'Africa-sickness' in the parts of the Equator.
But for many, Kenya means and has meant 'encounters'. Acquaintances gained for various reasons that one would like to follow up on.
How?
By inviting a Kenyan to Italy, i.e. by completing the 'outward' meeting away, with the 'return' one at home, to use a sports league metaphor.
And indeed in this period we receive many enquiries about the possibility of hosting a Kenyan citizen in Italy. Some of these, after the bureaucratic paperwork and the time needed to organise everything, are translated into visas for our country.
What are the main reasons? Clearly a visit out of 'friendship' prevails, which can also be a 'special' friendship, but there are requests from pensioners who prefer to host a trusted person who may have worked alongside them for a few months during their stay in Kenya, as a domestic helper and/or carer, rather than finding one in their own city. So perhaps for younger Italian tourists who are thinking of a cheaper (and perhaps tax-free) solution for their parents.
Then there are those who, through the invitation, hope to find a real job for the person hosted for the first few days, so that they can support their loved ones.
These, in short, are the main reasons.

But how do you host a Kenyan in our country?
First of all, you should know that it is not you who has to apply for a visa for the person you want to host, but the Kenyan citizen. And he or she must do so at the visa office of the Embassy in Nairobi, i.e. the office of our institutions in the country of permanent residence of the foreign citizen, by appointment only. 
An application must be submitted in writing, on a special form in a single copy, filled out in its entirety and signed by the Kenyan, accompanied by a passport photo. The cost of the application is € 80.
The appointment is usually granted within a maximum of 15 days and at the same time one must already be in possession of a return ticket for the chosen period of stay, a passport with an expiry date of at least three months more than the visa required and a number of conditions required, which the host must fulfil, including the declaration of hospitality (the so-called 'letter of invitation'), the important bank guarantee, in case the applicant cannot prove that he/she has adequate means of subsistence to stay in Italy for the requested period, and health insurance with minimum coverage of €30. 000 for expenses, possible emergency hospitalisation and repatriation costs. For the entire preliminary process before submitting the application to the Embassy, one must interface with the VFS Global office, which has offices in both Nairobi and Mombasa (website and info here: http://www.vfsglobal.com/italy/kenya).