KING Charles III embarks Tuesday on a four-day trip to Kenya, his first visit as monarch to a Commonwealth nation, where any comments he makes on Britain’s colonial past will be closely scrutinised.
Charles is expected to tackle “the more painful aspects” of the UK’s historic relationship with Kenya — namely the period of British rule, which ended in 1963, Buckingham Palace has said.
This will include the “Emergency” of 1952-1960, when colonial authorities imposed a state of emergency in response to the Mau Mau guerrilla campaign against European settlers.
“His Majesty will take time during the visit to deepen his understanding of the wrongs suffered in this period by the people of Kenya,” the palace said this month, announcing the trip.
About 10,000 people — mainly from Kenya’s Kikuyu community — were killed during the suppression of the uprising and as a result, the royal visit is likely to be greeted with mixed emotions.
The king’s trip also comes as the African nation prepares to celebrate 60 years of independence from Britain in December.
The choice of Kenya for his first visit to a Commonwealth nation since becoming king in September 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 his wife Queen Camilla will be welcomed by Kenyan President William Ruto in Nairobi on Tuesday.
During two days in the capital, he will meet entrepreneurs, 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 coastal city of Mombasa, where they will visit a nature reserve and meet representatives of various religions.
