King’s Visit Opened A New Page in Strengthening Ties Between Kenya, Britain
King Charles 111 and his wife, Queen Camilla
By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga
Worth Noting:
- President Ruto had also revisited this matter during the banquet. He stated: This is not the first time this issue is coming up. There is a feeling that the interventions you have made so far were not commensurate to the atrocities inflicted on freedom fighters by the brutal British army.
- The President however noted that this issue should not be used to make us lose the sight of the bigger picture.
- Britain is our key development partner and thier Majesties have done a lot for Kenya since independence. So, our focus should be hinged on strengthening these ties.
- The King demonstrated he appreciated the role played the fighters by presiding two activities.
The head of Britain monarch King Charles 111 and his wife, Queen Camilla concluded their four-day historic visit to Kenya a few days go.
Of the 54 nations which were colonies of Britain, Kenya is the first Commonwealth country he chose to visit after being crowned as the King. The invitation had been extended by President William Ruto. The King took the throne following the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth 11.
During his stay, the King held bilateral talks with his host President William Ruto which centered on strengthening historical ties between the two nations.
He also met representatives of youth women, faith leaders and veterans freedom fighters who participated in the First and Second World Wars and Mau Mau struggles.
In response to the fighters’ call on him to offer unconditional apology and compensate them for atrocities committed against them by the British colonial government, the King fell short of apologizing.
He told them during the State House banquet organized in his honor by President Ruto that he has had their concerns.
I share your pain and suffering you encountered during that period but I cannot change that.
In the meantime he avoided the issue of compensation and reparations.
Perhaps this was because he was privy to fact the British government had previously made some efforts to tackle this matter.
President Ruto had also revisited this matter during the banquet. He stated: This is not the first time this issue is coming up. There is a feeling that the interventions you have made so far were not commensurate to the atrocities inflicted on freedom fighters by the brutal British army.
The President however noted that this issue should not be used to make us lose the sight of the bigger picture.
Britain is our key development partner and thier Majesties have done a lot for Kenya since independence. So, our focus should be hinged on strengthening these ties.
The King demonstrated he appreciated the role played the fighters by presiding two activities.
First, he laid wreath on the graves of those who lost thier lives at Uhuru gardens Nairobi. He was accompanied by the President.
He later visited Kariokor Cemetery where he replaced and decorated three war veterans with new medals.
Matters of environmental conservation would also not escape his mind. He visited Karura forest and a model farm that was being run by organic manures
On third day of his visit, the Royal Couple flew to Mombasa where they were received by President Ruto, his deputy Rigathi Gachagua and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
The King, who is the Captain-General of British Royal Marine, inspected the guard of honor mounted by the Kenya Navy soldiers. The King was happy and thrilled by their experiences and skill to combat and annihilate the threat posed by the enemies. They showcased this by doing their drill with precision.
The following day the King held talks with Christian leaders and later Muslim leaders. The details of the talks were scanty.
This was expected as this came at a time when the Gaza-Israel war had intensified. It was triggered by Hamas, Palestinian troops, when they launched a vicious unprovoked attack against Israel.
Reports indicated the Israel intelligence was caught flat-footed.
This war has divided world. America and Britain are among the countries which have thrown their weight behind Israel.
The position of the United Kingdom was communicated by the Prime Minister (PM) when he visited Israel.
It was therefore hard to know the position of the King. Would he contradict the PM?
I’m persuaded to believe he took a neutral stand when addressing the faith leaders.
The wars are not the right course of resolving our disputes. We know innocent people mostly children and women are the ones who bear the brunt. A time has come to resolve the differences through diplomacy and dialogue.
The King also visited the Fort Jesus before being driven around by electric powered Tuk Tuk taxi together with his wife, Queen Camilla.
The Ministry of Education reaped big during this visit.
At ceremony held in Nairobi, Kenyan Minister and his Britain counterpart had signed an agreement involving billions of shillings to support Kenya education sector.
During the state banquet, the king reiterated the commitment of the British government to continue sponsoring and supporting the programmes and projects it had initiated and those undertaking in partnership with the Kenyan government.
We also going to increase the volume of funding and support new projects.
The King praised President Ruto for his exemplary and statesmanship leadership. Together, we are going to achieve much for the benefit of the citizens of our two nations.
Joseph Mutua Ndonga is a writer and political analyst based in Nairobi
Similar Posts by The Mt Kenya Times:
- Porsche 911 GT3: The driver’s car that defies the spec sheet
- Name, shame, ban: Police put violent political actors on notice ahead of 2027
- Kanja puts recruits through their paces ahead of Kiganjo passing-out
- Humbelani Priscilla Nemanzemba: Building Africa’s entrepreneurial future, one business at a time
- Salary: The sweetest contraceptive ever invented
About the Author
