King Charles III and Queen Camilla were hosted for dinner at the statehouse on the night of October 31.
During his speech, the king greeted those who had gathered for the event in Swahili, leaving them impressed and clapping for him.
“Mabibi na mwabwana hamjambo? Niaje? Ni furaha yangu kuwa nanyi jioni ya leo,” King Charles began off his speech.
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He went ahead to expresses his gratitude for the warm reception that President William Ruto and Kenyans had accorded him.
“It is a great pleasure for my wife and I to be back in Kenya once again. I’m enormously grateful to the president for the most generous invitation for this state visit; the tremendous hospitality you’ve shown us and the wonderful warm welcome the people of Kenya have extended to us. It has touched me deeply,” the King said.
He also acknowledged that there was no reason for the “colonial-era abuses during Britain’s rule of the East African country.”
“There were abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence committed against Kenyans as they waged… a painful struggle for independence and sovereignty. And for that, there can be no excuse,” King Charles said during the state banquet.
“None of this can change the past but by addressing our history with honesty and openness, we can perhaps demonstrate the strength of our friendship today, and in so doing, we can I hope continue to build an ever-closer bond for the years ahead,” he added.
The King and Queen’s visit enters the second day this Wednesday.
