King Charles says there is ‘no excuse’ for colonial violence as tour of Kenya begins

King delivers his speech during the state banquet hosted by Kenyan President William Ruto at the State House in Nairobi, Kenya. Photo / AP

King Charles has said there is “no excuse” for violent acts committed against the people of Kenya by British colonists in the past.

Along with Queen Camilla, the monarch is in the country for his first Commonwealth tour since his coronation - but some were left disappointed with his speech, expecting him to issue an official apology.

At a state dinner hosted by the president of Kenya, Dr William Ruto, Charles said, “Abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence were committed against Kenyans while they were ... waging a painful struggle for independence and sovereignty. And for that there can be no excuse,” reports Africa News.

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Charles continued to say that he wished to “meet some of those whose lives and whose communities were so badly affected” by the past.

“None of this can change the past, but by approaching our history with honesty and openness, we can perhaps demonstrate the strength of our friendship today and, in doing so, we can, I hope, continue to build an ever closer bond for years to come,” he concluded.

The four-day visit from the King and his wife, Queen Camilla, is meant to highlight “the strong and dynamic partnership between the United Kingdom and Kenya”, but Buckingham Palace has also stated it is time to talk about “the most painful aspects of the shared history” of the two nations.

King Charles Queen Camilla and Kenyan President Dr William Ruto. Photo / AP

One of those was undoubtedly the Mau Mau revolt, where colonial forces left more than 10,000 dead between 1952 and 1960. In 2013, the UK finally agreed to compensate more than 5000 Kenyans who suffered during the uprising and expressed “sincere regret”, with each person receiving around £2600 (NZ$5423.46).

Ahead of Charles’ visit, the Kenyan Human Rights Commission urged “the King, on behalf of the British government, to make an unconditional and unequivocal public apology ... for the brutal and inhumane treatment inflicted on Kenyan citizens throughout the colonial period”. They have also called for reparations to be made.

The royals were welcomed by Ruto and the First Lady of the Republic of Kenya, Rachel Ruto, when they arrived in Nairobi on Monday. The Kenyan Defence Force band played both countries’ anthems and a 21-gun salute was fired.

Charles and Ruto spoke about the countries’ shared interests, and Camilla learned about the First Lady’s environment and climate work and her efforts for the economic empowerment of women in Kenya.

They later visited the Uhuru Gardens and National Monument and Museum, and laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior. Charles and Camilla were joined by local schoolchildren at the museum, sharing several snaps of their activities on the royal family Instagram page.