‘We Regret The Past,’ King Charles Speaks On British Colonial Brutality In Kenya
King Charles III has acknowledged the agonizing past, particularly the suffering inflicted on Kenyans during the struggle for independence more than six decades ago.
During a Tuesday dinner at State House in Nairobi, the King stated that he seeks to better comprehend Kenya’s painful past and will interact with afflicted communities.
“It is the intimacy of our shared history that has brought our people together. However, we must also acknowledge the most painful times of our long and complex relationship. The wrongdoings of the past are a cause of the greatest sorrow and the deepest regret,” he said.
“In coming back to Kenya, It matters greatly to me that I should deepen my understanding of these wrongs and that I meet some of those whose lives and communities were grievously affected.”
King Charles referred to the atrocities committed against Kenyans, particularly the Mau Mau, as “abhorrent and unjustifiable” and stated that the two nations should endeavor to move on from their painful history.
“There were abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence committed against Kenyans as they waged a painful struggle for independence and sovereignty,” he noted.
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“None of these can change the past but by addressing our history with honesty and openness. We can perhaps demonstrate the strength of our friendship today. And in so doing we can I hope continue to build a bond for the years ahead.”
The King’s comments followed identical requests by Kenyans for an apology for colonial brutality.
President William Ruto had also requested that the King address the matter further, urging the two countries to leave the past behind them to forge a better relationship in the future.
“We cannot live as prisoners of the past. Neither can we go far into the future if we turn our backs on historical actions and omissions whose legacies encumber our present,” he stated.
“While there have been efforts to atone for the death, injury, and suffering inflicted on Kenyan Africans by the colonial government, much remains to be done to achieve full reparations,” President Ruto noted.
UK High Commissioner Neil Wigan, speaking on Citizen TV’s JKLive show last week, remained coy about whether the King will actually apologize personally for the atrocities meted out to Kenyans during the period, instead stating that the country had always “expressed regret” over the issue.
‘We Regret The Past,’ King Charles Speaks On British Colonial Brutality In Kenya
