FILE – Britain’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla view part of the Royal Collection relating to the Royal family’s connection to Kenya, during a reception for the Kenyan diaspora in the UK at Buckingham Palace, central London, Oct. 24, 2023. King Charles III wants to look to the future when his four-day state visit to Kenya starts on Tuesday Oct. 31, 2023. But first he will have to confront the past.
It’s also a visit that’s full of symbolism as Charles’ mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, learned that she had become U.K. monarch while visiting a game preserve in the East African nation in 1952. The king and Queen Camilla touched down at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport late on Monday. The royal couple was received by Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi and British High Commissioner to Kenya Neil Wigan.During the visit, Charles will acknowledge the “painful aspects” of his nation’s shared history with Kenya, which celebrates the 60th anniversary of its independence from thethis year.
Colonial authorities resorted to executions and detention without trial as they tried to put down the insurrection, and thousands of Kenyans said they were beaten and sexually assaulted by agents of the administration. headtopics.com
The British High Commission said Charles would “meet veterans and give his blessing to efforts by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to ensure Kenyans and Africans who supported British efforts in the World Wars are properly commemorated.”
Tuesday morning traffic was a bit slow on major roads towards the central business district. The governor in charge of Kenya’s capital of Nairobi, Johnson Sakaja, had told residents on Monday to expect “mild” traffic disruptions while the king is in town. headtopics.com
Charles also plans to visit Nairobi National Park and meet with environmental activist Wanjira Mathai, the daughter of late Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai, as he underscores his commitment to environmental protection.