Britain’s King Charles Begins State Visit to Kenya, Acknowledging Colonial Past and Calls for Reparations
NAIROBI, Oct 31 (Reuters) – King Charles of Britain and Queen Camilla arrived in Kenya on Tuesday for a four-day state visit, marking the monarch’s first visit to a former colony. The visit comes at a time when former colonies, including Kenya, are pressing for recognition of the abuses of Britain’s colonial past and demanding reparations.
Upon their arrival in the capital Nairobi, King Charles and Queen Camilla were welcomed with a 21-gun salute and a guard of honour at the Presidential Palace. President William Ruto accompanied the royal couple as they planted trees in the palace grounds and laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Uhuru Gardens, where Kenya declared independence in 1963.
Charles’ visit holds significance as former colonies, including Barbados and Jamaica, re-evaluate their ties to the monarchy and call for acknowledgement and reparations for colonial-era abuses. Many citizens of former British colonies, including leaders of Kenya’s Nandi people, are urging Charles to apologize and endorse reparations for the torture, killings, and land expropriation that occurred during colonial rule.
Buckingham Palace has stated that the visit aims to acknowledge the “painful aspects” of the shared history between the UK and Kenya, including the period of the Emergency from 1952-1960. The Palace added that King Charles intends to deepen his understanding of the wrongs suffered by the people of Kenya during this time.
The Mau Mau revolt, which took place during the Emergency, resulted in the death or mutilation of approximately 90,000 Kenyans and the detention of 160,000 others, according to estimates by the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC). In 2013, the UK government expressed regret for these abuses and agreed to a £20 million ($24 million) settlement.
Kenya’s history also includes the assassination of Nandi King Koitalel Arap Samoei by a British colonel in 1905, followed by the confiscation of his people’s land and cattle. While acknowledging the contributions of the British to Kenya’s education and public health systems, Samoei’s great-grandson emphasized the need for historical injustices to be addressed through a public apology and reparations.
In addition to engaging with Kenya’s history, King Charles plans to meet with entrepreneurs in the country’s thriving tech sector and visit wildlife facilities. He will also travel to the port city of Mombasa during his visit.
The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Acquire Licensing Rights.