Britain’s King Charles III arrived in Kenya late Monday for his first visit as monarch to a Commonwealth nation, where he faces widespread calls for an apology for abuses committed during colonial rule.
The palace says Charles, who is travelling with Queen Camilla, is expected to tackle “the more painful aspects” of Britain’s historic relationship with Kenya during the four-day state visit.
This will include the so-called “Emergency” of 1952-1960 when colonial authorities imposed a state of emergency in response to the Mau Mau guerrilla uprising against European settlers.
About 10,000 people – mainly from the Kikuyu tribe – were killed during the crackdown.
“The visit comes as Kenya prepares to celebrate 60 years of independence and will spotlight the strong and dynamic partnership between the UK and Kenya,” the British High Commission in Nairobi said in a statement announcing the royal couple’s arrival.
The choice of Kenya for his first visit to a Commonwealth nation since becoming king in September last year has special resonance for the royal family.
It was there in 1952 that Charles’s mother – the late Queen Elizabeth II – learned of the death of her father, King George VI, marking the start of her historic 70-year reign.
Charles and Camilla officially kick off the visit on Tuesday, when they will be welcomed by Kenyan President William Ruto.
During two days in the capital Nairobi, Charles will meet entrepreneurs, and young Kenyans and participate in a state banquet.
He will also visit a new museum dedicated to the East African nation’s history and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Uhuru Gardens, where Kenya declared independence in December 1963.
The king and queen will then travel to the Indian Ocean port city of Mombasa, where they will visit a nature reserve and meet representatives of various religions.
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