There can be “no excuse” for the atrocities committed against Kenyans during British colonial rule, King Charles III said on Tuesday on the second day of his four-day visit to the East African country.
“Abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence were committed against Kenyans while they were waging a painful struggle for independence and sovereignty. And for that, there can be no excuse”, the British monarch said at a state dinner hosted by Kenyan President William Ruto.
Charles III said he hoped to “meet some of those whose lives and whose communities were so badly affected” by colonial abuse.
“None of this can change the past, but by approaching our history with honesty and openness, we can perhaps demonstrate the strength of our friendship today and, in doing so, we can, I hope, continue to build an ever closer bond for years to come,” he added.
The British Embassy stated that the visit by the 74-year-old monarch and Queen Camilla underlines “the strong and dynamic partnership between the United Kingdom and Kenya.” Buckingham also noted that it would be an opportunity to discuss “the most painful aspects of the shared history” of the two countries.
There have been widespread calls for the British Monarch to formally apologise to a country Britain had ruled for decades before its hard-fought independence in 1963.
