A Kenyan delegation visiting Italy in early December held a high-level meeting with Infratel Italia, led by CEO Pietro Piccinetti, to discuss collaboration opportunities in expanding broadband access, developing a digital superhighway, and planning smart infrastructure projects.
The Kenyan team, headed by John Tanui, principal secretary of the State Department of ICT and the Economy, was joined by Frederick Lusambili Matwang’a, Kenya’s Ambassador to Italy.
Tanui announced that both sides agreed to initiate work on a Kenya–Infratel Memorandum of Understanding focusing on connectivity, national infrastructure mapping, public Wi-Fi deployment, Smart City initiatives, and capacity building. He highlighted key areas of cooperation including large-scale fibre optic deployment, 5G rollout strategies, Italy’s national infrastructure cadastre for coordinated planning and reduced excavation, and expanding public Wi-Fi networks to promote digital inclusion.
The discussions also covered submarine fibre connectivity for islands and remote regions, infrastructure mapping, national backbone planning, and exploring market opportunities under Italy’s Piano Mattei framework. This strategy, established by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government, aims to strengthen Italy’s engagement with African nations through a partnership approach focused on development, energy security, and migration management.
Tanui emphasised that this partnership will accelerate Kenya’s Digital Superhighway agenda and enhance knowledge exchange between the two countries. The ambitious project aims to lay 100,000 km of fibre optic cable, establish 25,000 public Wi-Fi hotspots, and create 1,450 digital village smart hubs across Kenya.
