On Tuesday, King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrived in Kenya for a state visit, despite strong calls for an apology for Britain’s terrible colonial past.
Despite the fact that the four-day trip has been framed as an opportunity to look forward and strengthen the warm modern-day connections between London and Nairobi, the legacy of decades of British colonial control remains big.
It is the 74-year-old British monarch’s first visit to an African or Commonwealth country since ascending to the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September last year.
Kenyan President William Ruto welcomed the royal couple in a ceremonial ceremony on Tuesday, hailing the visit as a “significant opportunity to enhance collaboration” in several spheres.
The journey, which follows excursions to Germany and France earlier this year, will “highlight the strong and dynamic partnership between the UK and Kenya,” according to the British High Commission.
However, as Kenya prepares to commemorate 60 years of independence in December, the UK will “acknowledge the more painful aspects” of its historic relationship with the country.
This covers the “Emergency” of 1952-60, during which colonial authorities brutally suppressed the Mau Mau guerrilla revolt, one of the worst insurgencies against British rule.
At least 10,000 people were slain, mostly from the Kikuyu tribe, however some historians and rights groups believe the true figure is greater.
Tens of thousands more were apprehended and incarcerated without charge in camps where killings, torture, and brutal beatings were frequent.
The royal visit also comes as demand increases in several Caribbean Commonwealth countries to depose the British monarch as head of state, and as republican voices in the United Kingdom become more vocal.