President Ruto Receives King Charles III at State House for Inspection of Kenya’s Military Guard of Honour
Nairobi — King Charles III and his wife Queen Camilla have arrived at State House, Nairobi where they were welcomed by President William Ruto.
Their Majesties received a formal ceremonial welcome complete with a 21-gun salute by the military, ahead of bilateral talks with the President.
On arrival at State House, Their Majesties received a warm welcome, greeted by the President who was accompanied by First Lady Mama Rachel and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla then planted ceremonial trees at the State House Nairobi lawn.
Their Majesties are on a four-day visit to the country where the King is expected to acknowledge “painful aspects” of the UK’s colonial past.
The King and the Queen have an elaborate itinerary in Nairobi and Mombasa in the historic visit aimed at solidifying Kenya-UK relations.
More than 10,000 people were killed and others tortured during the brutal suppression of the Mau Mau uprising in the 1950s, one of the British Empire’s bloodiest insurgencies.
The resistance group remained outlawed and was designated a terrorist organisation by the colonial government and subsequent administrations in independent Kenya which did not overturn the ban.
It was only in 2003 that the law was changed, and members of the Mau Mau were finally recognised as freedom fighters.
The British government has expressed regret and paid the compensation to some of the Mau Mau veterans but remains for the King to publicly apologize and offer more reparations.
Rights groups and survivors have exerted pressure since last week, demanding a public apology and reparations in billions.
The visit comes as Kenya prepares to celebrate 60 years of independence and will spotlight the strong and dynamic partnership between the UK and Kenya.
Their Majesties will meet a diverse range of Kenyans reflecting the strong people to people ties which exist between our two nations, with a particular focus on Kenya’s young people.
They will also spend time with conservationists, environmental activists, artists, entrepreneurs, veterans, the Kenya Wildlife Service, as well as schoolchildren. At the Coast, Her Majesty will spend time with survivors of gender-based violence, while His Majesty will engage with religious leaders who are working with UK-funded programmes to promote community cohesion
