In Kenya, the royal visit is shaped by the colonial past. Upon his arrival on Monday evening, King Charles III spoke. this Tuesday about the colonial abuses in Kenya and reiterated that there can be “no excuse” for “heinous and unjustified acts of violence” committed “against Kenyans”.
Published on: October 31, 2023 – 10:34 p.m
2 minutes
With our correspondent in Nairobi, Albane Thirouard
Since the announcement of this trip to Kenya, calls for apologies and reparations for the atrocities committed by the British colonists have multiplied in recent days. King Charles III and President William Ruto today visited the site where Kenya’s independence was declared in 1963. King Charles spoke at a banquet at State House, the presidential residence in Nairobi, and spoke about this colonial past.
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Charles III acknowledged that there had been “terrible and unjustified acts of violence against Kenyans” during the struggle for independence and, in his opinion, “there can be no excuse for this”. He explained that these past actions were “the cause of great sadness and deep regret” for him.
The Mau Mau uprising for independence in the 1950s was violently suppressed by British colonists. More than 10,000 people died, a number many believe is underestimated. Tens of thousands of Kenyans were also detained in degrading conditions.
“The Worst Excesses of Colonial Impunity”
Shortly before King Charles, Kenyan President William Ruto spoke about this period of Kenyan history. According to him, it “reinforced the worst excesses of colonial impunity.” He denounced colonialism as “brutal” and the suppression of the struggle for independence as “monstrous in its cruelty.”
In 2013, London paid almost £20 million in compensation to just over 5,000 Mau Mau veterans. But for many in Kenya that is not enough. Several communities are also demanding reparations for their land, which they claim the settlers appropriated. The Kenyan President also reminded on this Tuesday evening that there is still a lot to be done with the repairs.