Loading article content...
Loading article content...
Kenya, 23 October 2026 — Italian Ambassador to Kenya H.E. Vincenzo Del Monaco paid a courtesy call on Inspector General of the National Police Service Douglas Kanja Kirocho, MGH, CBS, OGW, at the National Police Service Headquarters, Jogoo House ‘A’, on Thursday, cementing the strong momentum generated by the IG’s recent working visit to Italy.
Just ten days earlier, on 12–14 October, IG Kanja had led a Kenyan delegation on a focused security engagement in Rome. The team held talks with Italy’s National Cybersecurity Agency (ACN), visited the Rome Police Operations Centre, engaged senior Polizia di Stato officers including Prefect Raffaele Grassi, and received briefings at Leonardo’s Cyber and Security Solutions Division. The discussions centred on cyber crisis management, urban and metropolitan policing, public-order operations for large events, protection of critical infrastructure, and the sharing of operational best practices.
Today’s meeting was the natural follow-up. IG Kanja personally thanked the Italian Government for the successful visit and the two sides continued talks on bilateral security cooperation, with particular emphasis on training and capacity development. Also present were Italian Police Attaché Mr. Marco Azzarone, Principal Assistant to the IG Mr. Mathew Kutoh (SAIG), and Personal Assistant to the IG Mr. James Murithi, HSC, CP.
The partnership offers Kenya concrete operational gains. Kenyan officers gain direct exposure to Italy’s whole-of-society approach to cyber crisis management and advanced tools from ACN and Leonardo, strengthening national defences against sophisticated digital threats. Lessons in metropolitan policing are expected to support the operationalisation of the Nairobi Metropolitan Police Unit.
Specialised training models for managing crowds and major events come at a critical time ahead of the 2027 general elections and the Africa Cup of Nations that Kenya will co-host. Knowledge transfer on securing critical infrastructure addresses another growing national security priority.
More from Kenya
Structured training programmes, officer exchanges and technical collaboration promise sustained capacity building across the Service rather than one-off engagements. The visit and today’s follow-up also accelerate progress toward a full Kenya–Italy Security Cooperation Agreement, building on the Letter of Intent signed in July 2026 and the broader Italy–Kenya Action Plan 2026–2029.
For Kenya, the relationship is less about symbolism and more about measurable upgrades in policing capability. Italy’s willingness to open its agencies, operations centres and technology firms to Kenyan officers provides a direct pipeline of expertise that can be adapted to local realities.
In return, Italy deepens its strategic footprint in East Africa under the Mattei Plan. The courtesy call on 23 October therefore marks more than diplomatic protocol. It closes the loop on a productive mission and opens the next phase of practical cooperation , one that positions the National Police Service to draw tangible operational advantage from one of Europe’s most experienced policing systems.