Why laid-back Charles was a hit with Kenyan kids on their first trip to a Commonwealth country since the coronation
- The king’s trip to Kenya was in danger of being overshadowed by a row over Britain’s past
- But young Kenyans lined the streets to catch a glimpse of him and Queen Camilla
- One fan described King Charles as a ‘good man’ and ‘champion of the planet’
His state visit to Kenya – his first to a Commonwealth since the coronation – was overshadowed by a row over Britain’s colonial past.
But King Charles has proven to be a hit with young Kenyans, many of whom lined the streets during last week’s tour to catch a glimpse of the monarch and Queen Camilla.
Many have praised the 74-year-old for being ‘chilled’ and ‘approachable’, describing him as a ‘good man’ and ‘champion of the planet’.
One teen, 17-year-old Girl Guide Joanne Mirraho, even told Charles she loved him.
After a beach clean-up on Thursday, she said: “It’s really how I feel. He is a champion of the planet, a good person and someone we can look up to.”
Hit with the kids: King Charles, pictured on a school visit in Nairobi, has won praise from young people in Kenya on his first trip to a Commonwealth country since the coronation
Allan Ramogo, 38, a caterer at the Eastlands library in central Nairobi, said of the crowd that greeted Charles: “Everyone here was born around 2000. For them, the empire is a centuries-old history.
‘It is the older generation, like my grandparents, who are dissatisfied with the visit and associate the British with colonialism. Young people are just excited.”
Rhoda Asiyo, 26, sous chef at Nairobi Street Kitchen, who served Charles a butter chicken samosa from his food truck, said: “The king was great, very relaxed.”
In Mombasa, Veronica Michael, 23, added: “King Charles is really cool. He wasn’t formal, but friendly.’
The king and queen have had to tread carefully since landing in Kenya on Monday.
Ahead of the visit, the Kenyan Human Rights Commission highlighted the atrocities committed against ‘Kenyan freedom fighters’ during the Mau Mau uprising in the 1950s. Many elderly Kenyans have also demanded compensation from Britain for these atrocities.
In a speech last week, Charles spoke of his “greatest sorrow and deepest regret” over Britain’s “abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence” during the colonial era.
King Charles III with scouts and girl guides during a visit to Early Birds Banda, a community organization that promotes marine conservation at Nyali Beach, Mombasa County
Rhoda Asiyo, 26, sous chef at Nairobi Street Kitchen, who served Charles a butter chicken samosa from his food truck, said: ‘The king was great, very relaxed’
Earlier this week, King Charles III started a children’s race during a visit to Karura’s urban forest to highlight the role of green spaces and forests in sustainable cities