For King Charles III. it will be an encounter with the ghosts of the past. The 74-year-old is traveling to Kenya with his wife Camilla on a state visit. From this Tuesday onwards, the British monarch is visiting the country where his mother experienced a historic moment – in February 1952, Elizabeth found out that her father had died and that she would now take over. So her reign began in a lodge in a national park.
Charles himself has been to Kenya several times. And his son William once got engaged to Kate there. There are likely to be some pictures from the East African state in the royals’ photo albums. But Kenya is also a country that was under British colonial rule.
How sensitive are the royals?
Last year it became clear that the royal family is particularly watched during such visits. When William and Kate attended a military parade in the Caribbean, there was criticism. William stood on a jeep in a white uniform, Kate next to him – this reminded some of pictures of former colonial rulers. “It was just so embarrassing,” says historian Caroline Elkins of Harvard University, who won a Pulitzer Prize for her book “Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain’s Gulag in Kenya.”
She generally finds the fact that Charles is traveling to Kenya and will also deal with the more difficult chapters of the story there to be a positive signal. She sees it as a gesture “that perhaps signals a change in how the monarchy thinks about the empire.”
In older people, the wounds are deep
There are still numerous historic buildings from the colonial era in Kenya today, some of which have become landmarks or excursion destinations. This includes Lord Egerton Castle, a magnificent country estate with a lush garden. The country’s railways are also reminiscent of the English colonial power. And cars drive on the left side of the road.
People in Kenya have mixed feelings about Charles’ visit. While the younger generation shows little interest in the colonial era and the British royal family, the wounds run deep for many Kenyans in the older generation.
One reason for this is the suppression of the Mau Mau uprising. In the 1950s, insurgents reclaimed their land from colonial rulers, attacked settlers and started an uprising. They primarily belonged to the Kikuyu people, who were particularly affected by expropriations in favor of British settlers. The administration cracked down on the uprising brutally. The conflict is considered one of the bloodiest in the British Empire.
Hope for clear words from King Charles
According to the Kenyan government and Kenyan human rights organizations, thousands of people were killed during the conflict and the colonial rulers held tens of thousands captive in internment camps. Although Britain prevailed in the conflict, Kenya became independent in December 1963.
The state visit is intended to celebrate the current relations between the two countries. The visit was at the invitation of President William Ruto and comes as Kenya prepares to celebrate 60 years of independence, said the announcement from London. Charles and Camilla are scheduled to visit Nairobi, Mombasa and the surrounding area.
Many Kenyans hope that Charles will speak clearly during his visit. An apology for British colonial crimes would be appropriate, said the daughter of a former leader of the uprising after the travel plans became known.
What the historian Charles advises
Historian Elkins would be surprised if Charles actually apologized because it could have broader consequences. After all, the British Empire once comprised a quarter of the earth’s landmass and hundreds of millions of people. Charles’ options in such questions are ultimately limited.
Victims from Kenya had won a victory a few years ago. After a lengthy process, the British government agreed to compensation payments of 19.9 million pounds (around 22.9 million euros) to around 5,000 people. In Elkins’ opinion, Charles’ visit would not be simply a matter of recalling the difficult past at a state banquet.
Charles should not point out that atrocities had been committed on both sides, nor should he say, “Okay, let’s move forward.” “That’s not how it works,” Elkins says. Charles could, for example, advocate for appropriate history teaching in his country.
“There’s nothing better than listening”
When you ask Elkins how she would structure Charles’ journey, she laughs. “If I were his tour guide? I would think of a lot.” Away from a carefully choreographed state banquet and looking at trees, Charles should talk to people, listen to them and feel their pain, perhaps visit the remains of a camp.
“There’s a wonderful man named Gitu wa Kahengeri,” says Elkins, who runs a veterans association. “Go to the village, talk to him, hear it directly from him,” Elkins says. “There is nothing better than listening and acknowledging.”
Charles should reassure people that he will do his best at home to ensure their stories are known. That the history of decolonization is more complicated and not a success story. “And I think that’s something he can do. And that would have a lasting impact not just in Kenya but also for the British people at home.”
Announcement from the British government Royal family on Instagram Buckingham Palace about the planned trip BBC review of visit to Kenya in 1952 Information about Caroline Elkins British representation in Kenya Announcement from 2013 on compensation payments Pulitzer Prize for Elkins’ book
