Putin appoints Swahili-speaking diplomat as Russia’s new ambassador to Kenya
Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed Vsevolod Tkachenko, a veteran diplomat with over 40 years of experience, as Russia’s new ambassador to Kenya.
The decision may be Moscow’s latest show of interest to a station that also hosts the only UN headquarters in the southern hemisphere. Mr Tkachenko is fluent in Swahili, one of the official languages in Kenya, as well as Tanzania and is widely spoken in the Great Lakes Region.
He had initially been named as new envoy to Ethiopia and the African Union, according to an earlier despatch published by state media in Russia back in June.
The new despatch released on Tuesday shows he will also take on the role of Russia’s permanent representative to the UN in Nairobi.
Mr Tkachenko replaces Dmitry Maksimychev, who has been in this post since 2018.
Diplomatic career
Before his appointment, Mr Tkachenko was the Director of the African Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry a position he has held since 2020.
A graduate of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Mr Tkachenko began his diplomatic career in East Africa in the 1980s, with postings in Kampala and Harare.
His appointment comes at a time when Moscow is actively renewing its ties with African countries, but is also being challenged to a duel by the West led by the US.
Russia came under criticism for invading Ukraine in February 2022, a decision heavily criticised by the West and allies like Kenya. Kenya would later tinker with that stance, calling, instead, for peaceful means to resolve the conflict.
The new envoy’s appointment coincides with the appointment of Dr Peter Mathuki as Nairobi’s new ambassador to Moscow. Dr Mathuki is a former East African Community (EAC) Secretary-General who faced mounting scrutiny over allegations of corruption during his leadership of the regional bloc.
Mathuki was at the centre of controversy over alleged misappropriation of $6.6 million peace fund allocation, intimidation and redeployment of staff at the secretariat. He maintained his innocence, however, and was never actually put to task by the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) about it, inspite of earlier threats by the MPs to do so.
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