King Charles III and Queen Camilla will visit the East African nation from October 31 to November 3. It will be King Charles III’s first visit to a Commonwealth nation since becoming monarch last September, and his fourth official visit to Kenya.
King Charles has previously made three official visits to Kenya, in 1971, 1978 and 1987, and both the King and Queen have also visited the country privately.
William Ruto, Kenyan President invited the royal couple for the visit, which comes as the African nation prepares to celebrate 60 years of independence from Britain in December.
The palace stated that The King and Queen will undertake a State Visit to Kenya, from Tuesday 31st October to Friday 3rd November 2023, to celebrate the warm relationship between the countries and the strong and dynamic partnership they continue to forge.
The palace said that the King and Queen will visit Nairobi City County, Mombasa County and surrounding areas.
In a monumental moment for Kenya, President William Samoei Ruto took to Twitter today to announce that King Charles III and Queen Camilla have selected Kenya as their first destination for a state visit to a Commonwealth nation.
The visit is expected to be a historic event, marking a significant opportunity to enhance collaboration between Kenya and the United Kingdom in various areas of shared interest. It underscores the strong bond between the two nations and their commitment to deepening their partnership.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s visit is seen as a symbol of the enduring strength of the Commonwealth and the bonds it creates among its member nations.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla are expected to participate in various events aimed at fostering closer ties between the two nations during their visit. It is anticipated that discussions on development projects, trade and investment will be at the forefront of the agenda.
The announcement of this royal visit has already generated excitement and anticipation among Kenyan citizens, with many expressing their eagerness to welcome the royal couple. The visit will be a momentous occasion in Kenya’s history, as it highlights the nation’s importance on the global stage and its close ties with one of the world’s most prominent monarchies.
King Charles will meet members of the Kenyan government, UN staff, faith leaders, young people and Kenyan Marines training with UK Royal Marines and will also attend an event to celebrate Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai.
About 10,000 people were killed during the suppression of the uprising and thus, the royal visit is likely to be greeted with mixed emotions.
After a court case that lasted several years, Britain agreed in 2013 to compensate more than 5,000 Kenyans who had suffered abuse during the revolt. Another lingering source of tension is the presence of British troops in Kenya.
The Kenyan parliament launched an inquiry in August, into the activities of the British army, which has a base on the outskirts of the town of Nanyuki, about 200 kilometres (120 miles) north of Nairobi.
The most notorious case was the death in 2012 of a young Kenyan mother allegedly murdered by a British soldier.
Kenya has a special significance for the royal family, being the land where the historic reign of Charles’ mother, Queen Elizabeth II began. She was visiting Kenya when King George VI, her father died in 1952.
Kenya was the first stop on Elizabeth’s tour of the Commonwealth that she had embarked upon with Prince Philip, her husband, in place of her ill father.
And in 2010, Prince William, Charles’ elder son proposed to his long-term girlfriend Kate Middleton while staying in Kenya.
