- Ukraine and Kenya are set to take their relations to the next level as a Ukrainian delegation prepares to visit Nairobi next week, heralding a new era of cooperation between the two countries.
- The delegation, representing Ukraine’s civil, academic, cultural and political communities will be led by Lesia Vasylenko, a Ukrainian Parliamentarian.
Image: Office of the President of Ukraine (OPU)
Ukraine and Kenya are set to take their relations to the next level as a delegation prepares to visit Nairobi next week, heralding a new era of cooperation between the two countries.
The delegation, representing Ukraine’s civil, academic, cultural and political communities will be led by Lesia Vasylenko, a Ukrainian Parliamentarian.
“Kenya and Ukraine share the same values of democracy and belief in the right to self-determination, as well as both being hustler nations with big futures ahead of us,” Vasylenko, a member of Ukraine’s parliament, said.
The common values, Vasylenko said, make the two countries natural partners.
“I hope my visit to Kenya will open up a host of new opportunities,” the MP said.
Building on the success of previous delegations to Kenya, Ukrainian parliamentary, academic, business and cultural leaders are now set to visit Nairobi to deepen relations and seek new opportunities for partnerships.
The delegation will be in Nairobi from February 5 to 10, 2024.
A particular focus for the delegation will be on building links between the Ukrainian and Kenyan parliaments.
Vasylenko will meet senior Kenyan parliamentarians, including National Assembly speaker Moses Wetangula to discuss how the two parliaments can work more closely.
“Africa has always looked to Kenya for leadership, making Kenya a crucial partner for Ukraine as we look to strengthen our relationships on the continent,” Vasylenko said.
“There are so many areas we can work together, from agriculture to technology and even space exploration. By opening up dialogue between our lawmakers, we can pave the way for cooperation across multiple fields, allowing us to prosper together.”
One potential growth area for Kenyan-Ukrainian cooperation is agricultural technology.
Ukraine is one of the biggest agricultural producers in the world – often called the “world’s breadbasket” for its huge output of grain.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, which has choked off Ukrainian grain supplies to countries around the world, including Africa, Ukraine has developed exciting new drone technology which could help Kenyan farmers boost agricultural production and help overcome food shortages.
Delegate Oleksandr Khomiak, Executive Director of the No Labels NGO, is an expert in drone technology and he is due to meet Kenyan agri-tech specialists at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
Khomiak will also meet Fred Nyamu, founder of the Agritech business Farm with Fred.
“Russia has deliberately cut off vital food supplies to much of the world, particularly Africa, sending food prices spiralling and causing people to starve. By sharing Ukrainian cutting-edge agri-tech, we can help other countries, including Kenya, feed themselves,” Khomiak said.
Center for National Resilience Studies director and the former Chargé d’Affaires at the Ukrainian Embassy in Nairobi Oleh Bielokolos, will meet academicians, including those from the University of Nairobi and the Prospect Peace Institute to discuss potential joint research projects.
“Kenya’s experience of colonisation has similarities with Ukraine’s own experience of aggression from Russia."
This provides Ukrainians and Kenyans with a unique perspective and I think there’s an opportunity here to explore how the world’s smaller countries can work together to resist exploitation at the hands of larger powers,” Bielokolos said.
The delegation also aims to strengthen cultural relations between Ukraine and Kenya.
It seeks to explore opportunities to showcase Ukrainian artists in Kenya and build partnerships with art, music and literature festivals, museums, and other cultural institutions.
Delegate Anastasiia Kapranova is the Programme Manager for Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa at the Ukrainian Institute, responsible for promoting a better understanding of Ukrainian culture internationally.
“In Ukraine, artists are producing incredible work, inspired by our whole society’s resistance to the Russian invaders, whilst Kenya’s history of colonisation is intertwined with its art. Through our art, literature and culture, we can all gain a better appreciation of one another’s experiences and so move closer together,” she said.