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British Royalty Kenya’s Visit: Important Details
UK Royalty Acknowledges Colonial Abuses in Kenya, But Falls Short of Apology
The Royal Air Force carrying The King and The Queen touched down at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) minutes before 11 pm, Monday.
The arrival came ahead of a four-day state visit to Kenya which officially began on Tuesday, October 31.
The visit was aimed at celebrating the warm relationship between the two countries and the strong and dynamic partnership they continue to forge.
The British royals Tuesday paid their respects to Kenyan soldiers who fought for Britain in two world wars, but their visit was overshadowed by demands for an apology for colonial-era abuses.
In a carefully worded speech, King Charles III expressed his “deepest regret” for the “wrongdoings of the past” in a speech at a state banquet on Tuesday, but he stopped short of a formal apology.
“There were abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence committed against Kenyans as they waged a painful struggle for independence and sovereignty,” he said. “And for that, there can be no excuse.”
His comments disappointed some who were hoping for a more concrete acknowledgement of Britain’s responsibility for the Mau Mau uprising, which was brutally suppressed by the British colonial government in the 1950s.
“We were hoping for a more contrite apology,” said Martin Mavenjina, a program advisor at the Kenya Human Rights Commission. “But the king fell short of apologizing.”
On Wednesday, the royals visited a war cemetery in Nairobi to honor Africans who served in the British military during two world wars.
King Charles also handed out medals to Kenyan veterans, part of a British initiative to belatedly recognize the contributions of non-European forces to the war effort.
“I hope we can do something special for you,” he told one veteran.
On Friday, November 3, 2023, their final day in Kenya, King Charles and Queen Camilla took part in separate events, each reflecting their passions and commitments.
The King began his day with an interfaith meeting at Mombasa Memorial Cathedral, where he was briefed on the work of the Coast Interfaith Council of Clerics in promoting peace, security, and development on the Kenyan Coast. He then took part in discussions on the role of interfaith dialogue in promoting peace, security, and development with the Council members.
The King also visited the Mandhry Mosque to learn more about the mosque’s interfaith dialogue work and its significance as a religious site.
Queen Camilla, meanwhile, met with staff, volunteers, and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence at the Situation Room, a one-stop shop for SGBV survivors, providing services ranging from advice and advocacy to counseling and therapy. She also visited the Tononoka Social Hall, where she was shown survivor kits that volunteers provide, which include sanitary products, shawls, toys, soap, snacks, and other grooming items. The kits are similar to those from Her Majesty’s Wash Bag Project, an initiative established by the Queen when she was Duchess of Cornwall in 2017, which offers a gesture of comfort to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
In their final stop, both the King and Queen visited Fort Jesus, the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mombasa Old Town.
On Friday afternoon, the British Royal Air Force plane departed from Mombasa, marking the end of a four-day state visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
Their Majesties were seen off at the airport by President William Ruto and his wife Rachel, as well as Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs.
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