British king acknowledges colonial atrocities in Kenya – here's what could happen next
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Tuesday, November 7, 2023
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On his official visit to Kenya, King Charles III acknowledged Britain’s colonial era “wrongdoings”.
Key Points:
- On his official visit to Kenya, King Charles III acknowledged Britain’s colonial era “wrongdoings”.
- He also paid tribute to Kenyan soldiers who had participated in the first and second world wars on behalf of Britain.
- British colonial rule in Kenya was characterised by injustices.
- Among these were forceful dispossession of indigenous people’s land, torture, detention and brutal suppression of anti-colonial movements.
- In 2020, Belgium’s King Philippe expressed regrets about the colonial legacy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The options
- They are normally commissioned by states to investigate previous wrongdoings and make recommendations.
- Belgium, for instance, set up a Special Parliamentary Commission to deal with the country’s colonial legacy.
- Criminal prosecutions: This is not a real option because colonial crimes are state crimes.
- International law and the framework of transitional justice push the envelope beyond symbolism, and offer potential for actual reparations, but also foster reconciliation.
Why it matters
- In the past decade, Kenyan groups have filed a series of colonial-era compensation claims in the UK, relating to Britain’s brutal suppression of the Mau Mau insurgency.
- In 2013, when Kenya was marking its 50th independence anniversary, the UK Foreign Office announced it would be settling claims of Kenyans relating to the Mau Mau events.
Tonny Raymond Kirabira does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.