King Charles has expressed his “pain” and “deep regret” for the “unjustifiable acts of violence” carried out by the United Kingdom in Kenya during the turbulent period known as “the emergency” that culminated in the African country’s independence 60 years ago. years.
Carlos and Camilla wanted to mark precisely the anniversary of Kenya’s independence with their trip to Nairobi, the first to a Commonwealth of Nations country since the Coronation.
The ghosts of the colonial era and the abuses and torture committed by the British authorities, during the also known as the Mau Mau rebellion against the British empire, have haunted the monarch since his arrival on Monday on an official visit that will last four days.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission had demanded from Carlos “an unequivocal public apology” for the abuses committed during colonialism. In his long-awaited speech, Charles stopped short of that, although he urged Britons and Kenyans to “recognize the painful moments of our long and complex relationship.”
King Charles was received on Tuesday with 21 salutes, accompanied by President William Ruto, and contributed to the planting of several trees in the gardens of the Presidential Palace. He next visited the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Uhuru Gardens, the place where the African country’s independence was declared in 1963.