King Charles of Britain will pay tribute to “painful aspects” of their common history, which encompasses nearly seven decades of colonial control, during his four-day state visit to Kenya on Tuesday, October 31, 2023. This will be his first trip to a former colony.
Queen Camilla accompanied Charles to the East African nation throughout the course of the night. On Tuesday morning (October 31, 2023), Kenyan President William Ruto will greet Charles in Nairobi.
According to Buckingham Palace, the visit is indicative of the two nations’ close collaboration on security, economic development, and climate change challenges.
In addition to seeing wildlife facilities, Charles intends to meet entrepreneurs from Kenya’s thriving digital community. Additionally, he and Camilla are going to the port city of Mombassa in the southeast.
Majority of Kenyans, however, are most interested in what Charles has to say about the atrocities committed during the colonial era, such as killings, torture, and extensive land expropriation—much of which still belongs to British individuals and businesses.
Near the conclusion of British control, during the 1952–1960 Mau Mau rebellion in central Kenya, was the most notorious phase of British rule. According to the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), the revolt resulted in the deaths or disfigurements of 90,000 Kenyans and the detention of 160,000 others.
Kenyans refer to this period as “the emergency,” and the UK government has previously apologized for atrocities committed during that time. In 2013, an out-of-court settlement of around 20 million pounds was reached.
“His Majesty will take time during the visit to deepen his understanding of the wrongs suffered in this period by the people of Kenya,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
Charles’s visit coincides with a growing number of former colonies reassessing their relationship with the monarchy and calling for Britain to take greater responsibility for its colonial past.
Barbados deposed Queen Elizabeth as head of state in 2021 in order to become a republic, and Jamaica has hinted that it would follow suit.
At the Commonwealth summit last year, Charles—then still the heir apparent to the throne—astonished many by admitting that slavery had a part in the founding of the voluntary association of nations that sprang out of the British Empire.
Charles should go one step farther and express his regret openly, as many former British colonists desire, by supporting reparations.
Among them are leaders of the Nandi people in Kenya, whose chief Koitalel Arap Samoie spearheaded an uprising for ten years until he was killed in 1905 by a British colonel. The majority of their cattle and land were taken by the British in the years that followed.
Kipchoge araap Chomu, the great-grandson of Samoie, acknowledged that the British had contributed to Kenya’s public health and education institutions, but he also stated that historical injustices needed to be made right.
“We have to demand public apology from the government of the British because of the atrocities they meted on us,” he told Reuters. “After apologies, we also expect a reparation.”
Ref: Reuters
