Supkem Marsabit yaunga mkono wito wa kuwajibisha serikali ya Kenya Kwanza.
December 5, 2024
By Machuki Dennson
The King and Queen of the United Kingdom have honoured President William Ruto’s invite to visit Kenya this year as the country prepares to celebrate 60 years of independence.
A statement from the monarch has stated that King Charles III and the Queen Camilla will therefore undertake a State Visit to Kenya, from Tuesday 31st October to Friday 3rd November 2023, to celebrate the warm relationship between Kenya and the United Kingdom and the strong and dynamic partnership they continue to forge.
This shall His Majesty’s first visit to a Commonwealth nation as King. This is the country in which Queen Elizabeth II’s reign began, having acceded to the throne in Kenya in February 1952.
The King and Queen will visit Nairobi City County, Mombasa County and surrounding areas.
Their Majesties’ programme will reflect the ways in which Kenya and the United Kingdom are working together, notably to boost mutual prosperity, tackle climate change, promote youth opportunity and employment, advance sustainable development and create a more stable and secure region.
During the visit, Their Majesties will meet President Ruto and the First Lady as well as and other members of the Kenyan Government, UN staff, CEOs, faith leaders, young people, future leaders and Kenyan Marines training with UK Royal Marines.
The King will also attend an event to celebrate the life and work of the Nobel Laureate the late Professor Wangari Maathai, together with Wangari’s daughter, Wanjira Mathai. The King and Queen’s programme will celebrate the close links between the British and Kenyan people in areas such as the creative arts, technology, enterprise, education and innovation. The visit will also acknowledge the more painful aspects of the UK and Kenya’s shared history, including the Emergency (1952-1960). He will take time during the visit to deepen his understanding of the wrongs suffered in this period by the people of Kenya. Together, Their Majesties will tour a new museum dedicated to Kenya’s history and will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at Uhuru Gardens, as well as visiting the site of the declaration of Kenya’s independence in 1963.
Here is the King and Queen’s itinerary while in Kenya
The King has undertaken three previous official visits to Kenya as a prince the first one being in 1971, the second time being 1978 and 1987 the third.
The queen has also previously visited the country privately.