To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the nation’s independence from the UK, Charles III and Camilla will visit the country in East Africa.
From October 31 to November 3, King Charles III of the United Kingdom and Queen Camilla will make a four-day state visit to Kenya, Buckingham Palace said on Wednesday.
The 60th anniversary of Kenya’s separation from the UK is this year. Despite a colonial past that involved acts of brutality, including as the repression of the Mau Mau insurrection in the 1950s, which claimed thousands of Kenyan lives, relations between the two nations have remained cordial. According to reports, Charles III will address the “painful aspects” of their shared past.
According to Buckingham Palace, “the King and Queen will visit Nairobi City County, Mombasa County and surrounding areas” during their state visit to Kenya, which is intended to “celebrate the warm relationship between the two countries and the strong and dynamic partnership they continue to forge.”
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According to reports, the visit will also discuss the past. During the tour, “His Majesty will take time to deepen his understanding of the wrongs suffered in this period by the people of Kenya,” according to Chris Fitzgerald, the King’s deputy private secretary.
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According to Fitzgerald, “The King and Queen’s programme will highlight the close ties between the British and Kenyan people in fields like the creative arts, technology, business, education, and innovation.”
He added that the king will speak with Kenyan President William Ruto on matters like climate change and defence.
Charles III will make his first trip to a Commonwealth country since taking the throne in September. 56 autonomous nations that were once part of the British Empire and the UK make up the Commonwealth.
Following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II last September, Charles ascended to the throne. Since then, the royal couple has travelled abroad three times.
In the meantime, the Kenyan government opened an inquiry in August to look into claims of wrongdoing by the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (BATUK). Soldiers have been accused of murder, sexual assault, and causing property damage. The public is invited to submit petitions alleging any crimes committed by British military, according to a call from MPs. The investigations will start this month, and before the end of the year, the country’s parliament will receive the final report.