The British King Charles III. (74) and his wife Queen Camilla (76) arrived in the Kenyan capital Nairobi for a state visit lasting several days. At the start of the trip, they were welcomed with military honors at the residence of Kenyan President William Ruto on Tuesday, as reported by the British news agency PA. It is the pair’s first visit to a Commonwealth country since Charles’s accession to the throne last year.
The visit is also considered historic because this year Kenya celebrates the 60th anniversary of its independence from the British Empire (December 12, 1963). Charles also wanted to acknowledge the “more painful aspects” of their shared history, it was said when the trip was announced a few weeks ago. “His Majesty will take the time to deepen his knowledge of the injustices suffered by the Kenyan people during this period,” the King’s Deputy Private Secretary Chris Fitzgerald said at the time. However, it is expected that the king will avoid an explicit apology.
Many expect an apology
In the run-up to the visit, Kenyans had made numerous demands on the royal family. The National Human Rights Commission renewed its push for the return of the skull and clothing of the leader of the Nandi people, Koitalel Arap Samoei, who led the Nadi resistance to British colonial rule and was killed in 1905. In addition, tribal elders from the Pokot ethnic group demanded reparations amounting to around 63 billion euros for the killing of almost 2,000 people in the city of Kepenguria and surrounding communities in northwest Kenya, as well as the unlawful arrest of numerous other resisters.
Freedom fighters from the former Mau Mau rebel group are demanding information on the whereabouts of the body of their leader Dedan Kimathi, one of Kenya’s most important freedom fighters, who was executed in 1957 and buried in an unknown location. Former Kenyan justice minister and human rights activist Martha Karua (2005-2009) emphasized: “We expect a clear apology [from King Charles]. Otherwise the visit is meaningless.”
In a short video on the palace’s Twitter account, Charles and Camilla were seen reading folders on board a plane – probably in preparation for the trip. The palace released a photograph showing Charles as a young man shaking hands with Kenya’s first president, Jomo Kenyatta.
The visit’s program includes, among other things, a state banquet and a visit to Nairobi National Park. The king’s talks in Kenya are likely to cover topics such as cooperation between the two countries in the fight against climate change, the promotion of young people and political stability in the region. Charles is particularly interested in climate protection. At the king’s express request, his plane was fueled with 40 percent sustainable fuel, the PA report said.
