News from Berlin - Andreas Peschke has been the German Ambassador to Kenya since September 2013. He is well acquainted with Africa, having worked on the continent ever since he graduated from Cologne University with a degree in African Studies. He speaks fluent English and Swahili, the two Kenyan official languages.

One of his main tasks is to support the work of volunteers and the United Nations in the name of the German Government. He is helping to solve the refugee crisis that resulted from the Sudanese conflict. He often goes to visit the Kakuma refugee camp next to the South Sudan border. Over 120,000 refugees have come to the camp already, and UN officials are sounding the alarm and asking for more funds to accommodate these refugees and provide them with food and healthcare.

As an Ambassador he also represents the interest of Germans in Kenya. Around 1,000 Germans live and work in Kenya and approximately 100 German companies have offices there. He works closely with the Nairobi office of the Goethe Institute and the DAAD to promote academic exchange to Kenyan students interested in spending a semester in Germany. Kenya is a popular destination for German tourists. 70,000 of them visit the country every year. They often come to enjoy the beauty of the national parks in Kenya. It is his responsibility as Ambassador to make sure that assistance and consular services are available to German nationals if needed.

News from Berlin – Berlin Global