King Charles in Kenya: Monarch says there is 'no excuse' for 'unjustifiable acts of violence' during British rule
The royal visit has been overshadowed by growing calls for the monarch to apologise for wrongdoing in Britain's imperial past.
Tuesday 31 October 2023 19:12, UK
The King has said there is "no excuse" for "abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence" committed by the British against Kenyans in the past, during a speech at a state banquet in the country.
Past wrongs during colonial rule are a cause of the "greatest sorrow and deepest regret," the monarch added.
The King, who was accompanied by the Queen, was welcomed to the east African country by President William Ruto and the first lady as they began a four-day state visit.
Before the visit, there were renewed calls for the King to say sorry from the Kenyan Human Rights Commission, who have requested an "unequivocal public apology", and from those whose relatives suffered abuse, particularly during the Mau Mau uprising in the 1950s.
After briefly acknowledging his own personal connections to Kenya and those of his wider family, including Queen Elizabeth II leaving the country as the new monarch after the death of her father in 1952, the King addressed the "shared history" of the two nations.
"It is the intimacy of our shared history that has brought our people together. However, we must also acknowledge the most painful times of our long and complex relationship," he said.
"The wrongdoings of the past are a cause of the greatest sorrow and the deepest regret."
The monarch said there were "abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence committed against Kenyans as they waged, as you said at the United Nations, a painful struggle for independence and sovereignty," adding that there can be "no excuse".
"In coming back to Kenya, it matters greatly to me that I should deepen my own understanding of these wrongs, and that I meet some of those whose lives and communities were so grievously affected," he said.
Monarch's speech was full of personal memories, but stopped short of an apology
This was a speech to set the tone of the visit.
And a speech that attempted to quell calls for the King to confront the controversies of colonial rule.
The language was strong and spoke to the room.
Like the government in 2013, the King expressed sorrow and regret. He described the British military behaviour as "abhorrent and unjustifiable" but stopped short of an apology.
And for some that will be a disappointment.
There had been hopes his sentiment would go further.
The speech, delivered with a peppering of Swahili, was filled with personal memories.
From his own first visit in 1971 with Princess Anne, to the diaries of his late mother, who arrived in Kenya in 1952 a princess, and left a queen.
Kenya was also the place he told guests, William proposed to his "beloved daughter-in-law" Kate.
The King's words, always written with the government, are carefully chosen. But in Kenya and across the Commonwealth, they will be carefully listened to.
Because this trip has already highlighted one of the King's hardest challenges - how to deal with historic wrongs from British colonial rule.
And he must find a way to navigate this issue if he's to prove he is a monarch for the modern world.
"None of this can change the past," he continued, adding that by addressing the history with "honesty and openness" the two countries can "perhaps demonstrate the strength of our friendship today".
He concluded: "And, in so doing, we can, I hope, continue to build an ever-closer bond for the years ahead."
Read more:
Niece of Kenyan 'murdered by UK soldier' writes to King
State visit to Kenya will acknowledge 'painful aspects'
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Ninety thousand Kenyans were murdered, tortured or maimed, with many held in detention camps during the Mau Mau uprising.
It marked the beginning of a campaign to end British rule in Kenya, with atrocities committed on both sides.
A decade ago the British government expressed regret and paid out nearly £20m in compensation, but ministers never apologised.
The King is expected to meet veterans and give his blessing to efforts by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which aims to ensure Kenyans and Africans who helped Britain in the World Wars are commemorated properly, later in his trip.
He also plans to visit Nairobi National Park and meet with environmental activist Wanjira Mathai, the daughter of late Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai, as he commits to environmental protection.
The royal visit this year coincides with the 60th anniversary of Kenyan independence, and a key goal of the UK government for the trip was to focus on friendship and future relations.