King Charles has expressed his “pain” and “deep regret” for the “unjustifiable acts of violence” carried out by the United Kingdom in Kenya during the turbulent period known as “the emergency” that culminated in the African country’s independence 60 years ago. years.
Carlos and Camilla wanted to mark precisely the anniversary of Kenya’s independence with their trip to Nairobi, the first to a Commonwealth of Nations country since the Coronation.
The ghosts of the colonial era and the abuses and torture committed by the British authorities, during the also known as the Mau Mau rebellion against the British empire, have haunted the monarch since his arrival on Monday on an official visit that will last four days.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission had demanded from Carlos “an unequivocal public apology” for the abuses committed during colonialism. In his long-awaited speech, Charles stopped short of that, although he urged Britons and Kenyans to “recognize the painful moments of our long and complex relationship.”
King Charles was welcomed with a 21-gun salute on Tuesday, accompanied by President William Ruto, and contributed to the planting of several trees in the gardens of the Presidential Palace. He next visited the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Uhuru Gardens, the place where the African country’s independence was declared in 1963.
During the visit the monarch was expected to acknowledge “the painful aspects of the shared history between the United Kingdom and Kenya.” According to a statement from Buckingham Palace, “Her Majesty will spend time delving into the errors suffered by the people of Kenya during that period.”
The “period” to which the statement refers is known as “the emergency”, between 1952 and 1962 (at the climax of the fight for independence), when it is estimated that British soldiers forced the confinement of one and a half million of Kenyans in concentration camps, where they were subjected to torture, rape and abuse.
The treatment of thousands of Kenyans during the “Mau Mau rebellion” was described in 1957 as “reminiscent of conditions in Nazi Germany or communist Russia”, in a letter to British authorities by the then attorney general of the colony, Eric Griffith-Jones.
More than 5,000 Kenyans joined a collective legal action over abuses committed during “the emergency.” The court battle dragged on for more than a decade until an out-of-court settlement was reached in 2013 with an estimated payment of £20 million (€23 million) in victim compensation and a statement of “repentance and regret.” by the British Government.
At the Commonwealth of Nations summit held last year, Charles surprised everyone and everyone with a reference to the role of slavery. In Kenya, leaders of the Nandi ethnic group hope that the monarch will go further and directly apologize for abuses, torture, murders and land expropriations.
The ghost of the wounds of colonialism has haunted Charles since his accession to the throne. Some of the 56 countries integrated into the Commonwealth of Nations – most of them former British colonies – intend to open a debate on reparations for slavery. Others, like Jamaica, aspire to follow the path of Barbados and break ties with the British monarchy by proclaiming themselves a republic.