Somali Magazine – King Charles III has officially landed in Kenya for a four-day trip, making his first ever visit to a Commonwealth country as monarch and attributing his achievements and commitment to an organization that’s been central to Britain’s global power and prestige since World War II.
In the company of his wife, Queen Camilla, King Charles landed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on Monday and was received by Kenya’s prime cabinet secretary and Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi and the British High Commissioner to Kenya, Neil Wigan.
Tuesday morning, the Kenyan navy fired a 21-gun salute as President William Ruto ceremoniously welcomed King Charles to the State House.
Later on, the monarch planted an African fern tree seedling on the lawn as part of his historical visit to Kenya.
His first visit as monarch subsequently relates to her mother’s, Queen Elizabeth II, who believed that she became the U.K. monarch after visiting a game preserve in the East African nation in 1952.
Queen Camilla accompanied the King while donning an Anna Valentine white crepe silk dress with a diamond oyster brooch that belonged to Queen Elizabeth, according to the High Commission.
King Charles’ visit will, however, acknowledge the pains and struggles of his nation’s shared history with Kenya, which celebrates the 60th anniversary of its independence from the United Kingdom this year. The two countries have shared a mutual relationship since independence, despite the prolonged struggle against colonial rule that claimed thousands of Kenyans’ lives.
In preparation for the four-day visit to Kenya, King Charles will also be expected to address the legacy of eight decades of British colonial rule, as well as complaints that foreigners still own large swaths of rich farmland and that the U.K. has failed to accept responsibility for the crimes of British soldiers stationed in Kenya.
The British High Commission said Charles would “meet veterans and give his blessing to efforts by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to ensure Kenyans and Africans who supported British efforts in the World Wars are properly commemorated.”
King Charles will also visit Nairobi National Park and meet with environmental activist Wanjira Mathai, the daughter of late Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai, as he underscores his commitment to environmental protection.
By Mujidu Victor