KING CHARLES EXPRESSES ‘DEEPEST REGRET’ FOR KENYA COLONIAL WRONGDOINGS – He stopped short of making a full apology called for by survivors of that period
King Charles said he felt the “greatest sorrow and deepest regret” for atrocities suffered by Kenyans during their struggle for independence from British colonial rule. But in a speech at the start of a four-day state visit to Kenya, he stopped short of making a full apology called for by survivors of that period and local rights groups who are pressing for reparations from the British government.
Many citizens of former British colonies, including leaders of Kenya’s Nandi people, want Charles to directly apologise and endorse reparations for colonial-era abuses, including torture, killings and expropriation of land, much of which remains in British hands.
During the 1952-1960 Mau Mau revolt in central Kenya, some 90,000 Kenyans were killed or maimed and 160,000 detained, the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has estimated. Britain has previously expressed regret for those abuses and agreed a 20 million pound ($24 million) settlement in 2013. President William Ruto praised Charles for his courage and readiness “to shed light on uncomfortable truths that reside in the darker regions of our shared experience”.
While still heir to the throne, Charles surprised many at last year’s summit of the Commonwealth – a voluntary association of countries that evolved from the British Empire – by acknowledging slavery’s role in the organisation’s roots. During the remainder of his trip, the king is expected to tour conservation work in a wildlife park, and travel to the port city of Mombasa.