Kenya and Italy reaffirm commitment to deepening bilateral space cooperation
Date: 2026-04-06
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
Kenya
and Italy have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral space
cooperation following the 3rd Joint Steering Committee meeting held at the
headquarters of the Italian Space Agency in Rome.
The
Kenyan delegation was led by Principal Secretary for Defence, Patrick Mariru,
while the meeting was co-chaired alongside Jahjah Munzer, representing the
President of the Italian Space Agency.
Discussions
focused on reviewing progress in implementing the bilateral agreement on the
Luigi Broglio Malindi Space Centre, with the Kenya Space Agency and the Italian
Space Agency serving as the main implementing bodies. Key updates were provided
on the operationalization of the Centre for Earth Observation in Malindi,
supported by a node at the agency’s headquarters in Nairobi.
The
meeting also explored plans to establish an International Centre for Space
Education in Malindi, alongside a Centre for CubeSat Development and a Space
Museum. Opportunities for educational scholarships in space-related fields for
Kenyan students were also discussed.
Both delegations emphasized their shared vision of transforming the Malindi Space Centre into a hub for advanced space science, research and innovation, while enhancing operational efficiency and supporting regional and global space initiatives.
On
the sidelines of the meeting, the Kenyan delegation engaged with executives
from Italian space companies STAM and Planetek, which are part of a consortium
selected under a European Space Agency initiative to establish the African
Business Innovation Lab in partnership with the Kenya Space Agency in Nairobi.
The
planned innovation lab is expected to strengthen Kenya’s space ecosystem by
supporting research, entrepreneurship and technology development within the
sector.
