In Kenya, King Charles III expresses ‘greatest sorrow and the deepest regret’ for past violence

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — King Charles III has expressed “greatest sorrow and the deepest regret” for the “abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence” committed against Kenyans as they sought independence during a speech on his first day of a four-day visit.

But, he didn't explicitly apologise for Britain's actions in its former colony, as many Kenyans wanted.

Charles at the state banquet hosted by Kenyan President William Ruto said there “can be no excuse” for the “wrongdoings of the past.”

He said that addressing them with honesty and openness could “continue to build an ever closer bond in the years ahead.”

Kenya is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its independence this year.

It and Britain have had a close but at times challenging relationship after the prolonged struggle against colonial rule, sometimes known as the Mau Mau Rebellion, in which thousands of Kenyans died.

Ruto told the banquet that Britain's response to Kenya's quest for self-rule was “monstrous in its cruelty.”

Colonial authorities resorted to executions and detention without trial as they tried to put down the insurrection, and thousands of Kenyans said they were beaten and sexually assaulted by agents of the administration.

“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 in order to achieve full reparations,” Ruto said.

This is the king's first state visit to a Commonwealth country as monarch. 

Follow The Gleaner on X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us at onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.