King Charles III and Queen Camilla have arrived in Kenya for his first visit as monarch to a former British colony, where he plans to acknowledge "painful aspects" of a shared history that featured almost seven decades of colonial rule.
The couple, who arrived in the East African country overnight, were received by President William Ruto in the capital Nairobi on Tuesday morning.
The king plans to meet entrepreneurs from Kenya's bustling tech scene and tour wildlife sites. The couple will also travel to the south-eastern port city of Mombasa.
Many Kenyans, however, are most focused on what King Charles will say about colonial-era abuse, including torture, killings and widespread expropriation of land, much of which still belongs to British citizens and companies.
The most contentious period of British rule of the country came during the 1952-1960 Mau Mau revolt in central Kenya.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) has estimated 90,000 of its citizens were killed or maimed and 160,000 detained during the uprising.
The UK government has previously expressed regret for abuse during this period, known by Kenyans as "the emergency", and agreed to an out-of-court settlement of almost £20 million ($24.3 million) in 2013.
The royal couple will tour a new national history museum, visit the site where independence was declared in 1963 and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior.
"His majesty will take time during the visit to deepen his understanding of the wrongs suffered in this period by the people of Kenya," Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
The visit comes as other former colonies are re-evaluating their ties to the monarchy and demanding that Britain does more to reckon with its colonial past.
In 2021, Barbados ditched Queen Elizabeth as head of state to become a republic, and Jamaica has signalled it may do the same.
King Charles, then heir to the throne, surprised many at last year's summit of the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of countries that evolved from the British Empire, by acknowledging the role of slavery role in the organisation's roots.
Many citizens of former British colonies want the king to go further by directly apologising and endorsing reparations.
In Kenya, those include the Nandi people, whose leader Koitalel Arap Samoie led a decade-long rebellion until he was assassinated by a British colonel in 1905. In the ensuing years, the British confiscated most of their land and cattle.
King Charles III's first year - in pictures
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September marked King Charles III's first year as British monarch, here The National looks back at the past 12 months. All photos: Getty Images -
King Charles delivers his address to the nation from Buckingham Palace following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday, September 8, 2022 -
King Charles and Queen Camilla walk across the forecourt of Buckingham Palace, London, as he enters the palace for the first time as the new King in September 2022 -
King Charles during his first audience with Prime Minister Liz Truss at Buckingham Palace in September 2022 -
King Charles speaks during his proclamation as king during the accession council in London in September 2022 -
King Charles and Queen Camilla take part in an address in Westminster Hall in September 2022 -
King Charles, Prince Edward, Princess Anne, and Prince Andrew hold a vigil at St Giles' Cathedral, in honour of Queen Elizabeth in Edinburgh in September 2022 -
King Charles follows behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth as it is carried out of Westminster Abbey after her state funeral in September 2022 -
King Charles drives past Wellington Arch during the funeral -
King Charles shakes hands with a boy as he visits Aberdeen Town House to meet families who have settled in Aberdeen from Afghanistan, Syria and Ukraine in October 2022 -
King Charles welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government in October 2022 -
King Charles reacts after an egg was thrown in his direction in York during a ceremony at Micklegate Bar where, traditionally, The Sovereign is welcomed to the city, in November 2022 -
King Charles speaks with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Stella McCartney and US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry during a reception at Buckingham Palace ahead of the Cop27 Summit in November 2022 -
King Charles plants a lime tree in the Buckingham Palace garden for the Queen's Green Canopy ahead of the Cop 27 Summit in November 2022 -
King Charles unveils a statue of Queen Elizabeth outside York Minster in November 2022 -
King Charles attends the Remembrance Sunday ceremony at the Cenotaph on Whitehall, London, in November 2022 -
Queen Camilla, King Charles and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Grand Entrance of Buckingham Palace during a state visit in November 2022. This is the first state visit hosted by the UK with King Charles as monarch -
King Charles and Queen Camilla talk to co-owners of Wrexham AFC Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney during a visit to Wales in December 2022 -
King Charles during the recording of his first Christmas broadcast at Windsor Castle in December 2022 -
King Charles dances at a pre-Chanukah reception hosted on site for Holocaust survivors at the JW3 Community Centre in December 2022 in London -
King Charles and Queen Camilla meet members of the public during a visit to the Bangladeshi community of Brick Lane in London in February -
King Charles holds an audience with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Buckingham Palace in February -
King Charles meets members of the Turkish diaspora community in February in Hounslow, West London -
King Charles speaks at the German Bundestag in March in Berlin, Germany -
First Lady Elke Buedenbender, Queen Camilla, King Charles and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier arrive for a Ceremonial welcome at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin in March -
King Charles greets people at York Minster for the Maunday Thursday Service in April -
King Charles inspects the 200th Sovereign's parade at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in April -
King Charles and Queen Camilla switch on stage lighting as they visit the host venue of the Eurovision Song Contest, the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool in April -
King Charles looks up as he receives the St Edward's Crown during his coronation ceremony in Westminster Abbey in May -
King Charles stands after being crowned in Westminster Abbey in May -
King Charles and Queen Camilla travelling in the Gold State Coach down The Mall on route to Buckingham Palace during the coronation in May -
King Charles arrives to receive a royal salute from members of the military in the gardens of Buckingham Palace following his coronation -
King Charles travels by train pulled by the Flying Scotsman in celebration of its 100th anniversary, in June -
Prince George, Prince Louis, Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Prince William, King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince Edward, and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to watch a fly-past of aircraft by the Royal Air Force during Trooping the Colour in June -
King Charles attends Royal Ascot in June -
King Charles and Queen Camilla pose with masquerade masks as they attend the Animal Ball at Lancaster House in London to mark the 20th anniversary of wildlife conservation charity Elephant Family in June -
Catherine, Princess of Wales and Prince William look on as King Charles is presented with the Crown of Scotland during the National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication for King Charles and Queen Camilla at St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, Scotland in July -
King Charles and US President Joe Biden at Windsor Castle in July
Samoie's great-grandson Kipchoge Araap Chomu credited the British with contributions in education and public health but said historical injustice must be remedied.
"We have to demand public apology from the government of the British because of the atrocities they meted on us," he said. "After apologies, we also expect a reparation."
