Tuesday marks the start of King Charles III’s official state visit to Kenya, where he will face intense pressure to apologize for Britain’s brutal colonial past.
The legacy of decades of British colonial control hangs large, despite the fact that Charles and Queen Camilla’s four-day visit has been framed as an opportunity to look to the future and build on the strong links between London and Nairobi.
Since taking the throne in September of last year following the passing of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, the 74-year-old British head of state is making his first trip to an African or Commonwealth country.
The British High Commission said the visit, which follows trips to Germany and France earlier this year, will “spotlight the strong and dynamic partnership between the UK and Kenya”.
But it will also “acknowledge the more painful aspects” of Britain’s historic relationship with Kenya as the East African country prepares to celebrate 60 years of independence in December.
One such instance is the “Emergency” of 1952–1960, during which the Mau Mau guerrilla uprising—one of the deadliest rebellions against British rule—prompted colonial authorities to declare a state of emergency.
At least 10,000 individuals, mostly from the Kikuyu tribe, were slain; however, some historians and human rights organizations contend that the actual number is far higher.
Tens of thousands more were apprehended and imprisoned in camps where stories of brutal beatings, torture, and executions were frequent.
The royal visit also coincides with growing republican voices in the UK and increasing demand in several Caribbean Commonwealth nations to depose the British monarch as head of state.
