Vsevolod Tkachenko, a seasoned diplomat with more than 40 years of experience, has been named by Russian President, Vladimir Putin, as Russia’s new ambassador to Kenya.

The move is the most recent indication of Moscow’s interest in the East African sub-region with Kenya being strategic to the diplomatic move and also home to the United Nation’s sole southern hemisphere headquarters.

Speaking Kiswahili, which is widely spoken throughout the Great Lakes region and is one of Tanzania’s and Kenya’s official languages, Mr Tkachenko speaks it fluently.

In June, Russian official media published an earlier dispatch that listed him as the new envoy to Ethiopia and the African Union. He will also assume the customary responsibilities of Russia’s permanent representative to the UN in Nairobi, according to the latest dispatch sent on Tuesday.

Dmitry Maksimychev, who has held the position since 2018, is replaced by Mr. Tkachenko. Mr. Tkachenko has been the director of the Africa Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry since 2020, prior to his appointment.

Mr Tkachenko started his diplomatic career in East Africa in the 1980s, receiving postings in Kampala and Harare. He is a graduate of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.

His nomination takes place at a time when Moscow is vigorously re-establishing relations with African nations, but it is also facing opposition from the West, particularly the US.

Specifically, Russia faced criticism for its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a move strongly denounced at the time by the West and allies like Kenya.

Later, Kenya changed its position, endorsing peaceful methods of settlement and assisting the African Union’s efforts to arbitrate the dispute last year.

These initiatives, spearheaded by African Union Chairperson Azali Assoumani of Comoros and President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa, failed.

The new ambassador’s appointment takes place concurrently with Nairobi’s appointment of Peter Mathuki as its new envoy to Moscow.

Because of claims that he was corrupt whilst leading the East African Community (EAC), Dr. Mathuki, the former secretary-general of the organisation, has come under more and more criticism.

The embezzlement of a $6.6 million peace fund allocation, intimidation, and reassignment of secretariat staff placed Mathuki in the focus of controversy. Nevertheless, despite prior threats from MPs to impeach him, he remained innocent and was never officially removed from office by the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA).

Nevertheless, after being nominated during the 21st Ordinary Summit of EAC Heads of State in March 2021, he became the first secretary-general of the EAC to be recalled by his government before the end of his five-year term.