Kenya blocks airing of allegations of UK army abuses before king’s visit
Kenya blocks airing of allegations of UK army abuses before king’s visit
The King and Queen flew to Kenya today ahead of their State Visit, which begins tomorrow.The King and Queen are on their way to Kenya for a four-day visit which will take in the best of the country, from its young tech entrepreneurs and creatives to its beautiful forests and coastline.
The visit will take place from Tuesday 31st October to Friday 3rd November 2023, and will celebrate the warm relationship between the two countries and the strong and dynamic partnership they continue to forge.
The visit is at the invitation of President Ruto and comes as Kenya prepares to celebrate 60 years of independence. His Majesty’s first visit to a Commonwealth nation as King is therefore to the country in which Queen Elizabeth II’s reign began, having acceded to the throne in Kenya in February 1952.
The King and Queen will visit Nairobi City County, Mombasa County and surrounding areas. Their Majesties’ programme will reflect the ways in which Kenya and the United Kingdom are working together, notably to boost mutual prosperity, tackle climate change, promote youth opportunity and employment, advance sustainable development and create a more stable and secure region.
The King and Queen’s programme will celebrate the close links between the British and Kenyan people in areas such as the creative arts, technology, enterprise, education and innovation. The visit will also acknowledge the more painful aspects of the UK and Kenya’s shared history, including the Emergency (1952-1960). His Majesty will take time during the visit to deepen his understanding of the wrongs suffered in this period by the people of Kenya. Together, Their Majesties will tour a new museum dedicated to Kenya’s history and will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at Uhuru Gardens, as well as visiting the site of the declaration of Kenya’s independence in 1963.
The King and Queen’s programme also will include:
- Their Majesties will be greeted in Nairobi with a ceremonial welcome at State House and will each attend bilateral meetings – The King with The President and The Queen with the First Lady, before The President hosts a State Banquet at State House.
- His Majesty will visit the United Nations Office at Nairobi, to learn more about the work of UN Habitat and the UN Environment Programme. UNON is the only UN Headquarters in the Commonwealth.
- His Majesty will attend a technology showcase, meeting Kenyan entrepreneurs who are driving forward innovation in the country’s tech sector. Kenya has the third largest start up eco-system in Africa.
- His Majesty will host a reception focussed on Kenya’s young people and future leaders across development, trade, media, the creative arts and environmental conservation.
- Their Majesties will visit a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery, joining British and Kenyan military personnel in an act of Remembrance, before hearing about the Commission’s recent work to ensure all those who supported Britain’s efforts in both World Wars are commemorated.
- The King and Queen will visit Nairobi National Park to witness the vital conservation work being undertaken by the Kenya Wildlife Service, which is integral to Kenya’s thriving tourism industry.
- Her Majesty, Patron of the equine welfare charity Brooke, will hear how the charity is working with the Kenya Society for the Protection and Care of Animals to rescue donkeys at risk and promote their welfare.
- The King, as Captain General of the Royal Marines, and The Queen, will visit Mtongwe Naval Base in Mombasa. There, Their Majesties will witness Kenyan Marines, trained by the Royal Marines, demonstrating a covert beach landing, showing defence collaboration in action.
- The Queen will meet survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, learning how they are supported and sharing her own insights from working in this area.
- The King will meet faith leaders from Mombasa’s diverse community, hearing how they are working together to promote harmony amongst the city’s population.
- The British first arrived in Kenya in 1895, 10 years after the Berlin Conference where East Africa was first divided into territories of influence by the European powers. The British Empire established the East Africa Protectorate in 1895 and from 1920 we became the KENYA Colony. 43 years later in December 1963, Kenya gained independence and became a Constitutional Monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II as the Head of State and Kenyatta the Prime Minister and Head of Government. In December 1964 Kenya became a Republic and Kenyatta became the Head of State and Government. So, how did Kenya get its name? You do know that the first missionary to arrive here was Ludwig Krapf, a German from the Anglican Church Missionary Society (CMS). Krapt set a missionary station in Rabai where he was later joined by Johannes Rebmann. In Rabai they established a church and a school and After several years, Rebmann moved to evangelize to the Taitas while Krapt proceeded to Ukambani. In Ukambani there was a prominent Chief known as Kivoi wa Mwendwa. Krapt befriended Kivoi and on December 3, 1849, the Chief took Krapf to behold the Mountain of Mystery. When asked the name of the mountain, Chief Kivoi told Krapt that the Mountain was known as Kiinya. This is how our country got its name. Had Krapt been told Kirinyaga, ladies and gentlemen that would have been our country’s name. Krapt continued with his missionary work and with the help of the Kamba people, he translated the New Testament into the Kamba language. Other linguistic works are also attributed to him, including the first Swahili dictionary as well as translation of the Bible into other East African languages. Johann Ludwig Krapf therefore the founding father of the Anglican Church of Kenya, and the man who officially gave Kenya its name inspired by the Mountain of Mystery where our forefathers had worshipped for Centuries. Missionary work continued at the Coast and in mainland Kenya, led by different missionary groups. Beyond the churches, the missionaries also established schools and hospitals that have had significant impact on Kenyans over the years. Of course the Anglican Church takes the crown for leading the path and introducing Christianity to Kenya. Ladies and Gentlemen, in an almost related matter, the Anglican Church was established by King Henry VIII after he broke away from Papacy in Rome in 1534. 489 years later, British Monarch remains Supreme Governor of the Church, and he is known as the Defender of the Faith. Tomorrow we will welcome him to Kenya, a land where his ancestors governed as a colony for a few decades; a country where his mother reigned as Queen from 12 December 1963 to 12 December 1964.
King Charles III wants to look to the future as his state visit to Kenya commences on Tuesday. However, he must first confront the past.
As Charles prepares for the four-day trip to Kenya, he is facing calls to address the legacy of eight decades of British colonial rule, complaints that foreigners still own large swaths of rich farmland, and allegations that the U.K. has failed to accept responsibility for the crimes committed by British soldiers stationed in Kenya.
The trip will also be closely watched worldwide because it marks the king’s first state visit to an African nation and his first to a Commonwealth member since ascending the throne last year. This visit occurs at a time when the U.K. and the royal family are under pressure to reexamine the history of colonialism and apologize for their role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
On Monday, Kenyan police blocked a news conference intended to air allegations of human rights and environmental abuses by British troops in the country, just hours before King Charles arrives for his four-day state visit.
Buckingham Palace has stated that Charles’ visit will acknowledge the “painful aspects of the UK and Kenya’s shared history.” The British ruled for more than six decades before the East African nation gained independence in 1963.
The allegations in question relate to a period long after the end of colonial rule. Residents of central Kenya’s Lolldaiga area have accused a British army training unit based nearby of causing a wildfire in 2021 that destroyed much of a nature reserve, leaving behind ordnance that injured locals, and being involved in the 2012 murder of a woman last seen with British soldiers.
UK authorities have promised in the past to investigate the allegations against members of the military training unit, which has about 100 permanent staff.
