By Enyichukwu Enemanna
British monarch, King Charles, has arrived Kenya in the company of his wife, Queen Camilla, where they were received by President William Ruto in the capital Nairobi on Tuesday morning.
King Charles’ four-day state visit to Kenya is his first to the East African country, which was a former colony of Britain.
During the visit, King Charles plans to acknowledge “painful aspects” of a shared history that included almost seven decades of colonial rule.
Buckingham Palace says the visit is a reflection of the two countries’ close cooperation on economic development, climate change and security issues.
Charles plans to meet entrepreneurs from Kenya’s bustling tech scene and tour wildlife facilities.
He and Camilla will also travel to the southeastern port city of Mombassa.
Many Kenyans, however, are most focused on what Charles will say about colonial-era abuses, including torture, killings and widespread expropriation of land, much of which still belongs to British nationals and companies.
The most notorious period of British rule came near the end, during the 1952-1960 Mau Mau revolt in central Kenya.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has estimated 90,000 Kenyans were killed or maimed and 160,000 detained during the uprising.
The UK government has previously expressed regret for abuses during this period, known by Kenyans as “the emergency”, and agreed to an out-of-court settlement of almost 20 million pounds in 2013.
Charles and Camilla will tour a new national history museum, visit the site where independence was declared in 1963 and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.
“His Majesty will take time during the visit to deepen his understanding of the wrongs suffered in this period by the people of Kenya,” Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
