After being in Kenya for the last four days, King Charles III has finally ended the trip and is set off to go back to his land. President Ruto and the first lady have seen them off at Moi International airport where they were captured having the last brief talks before bidding each other goodbye. They were escorted by light showers of rain as they walked on the red carpet.
The monarchy earlier visited religious leaders amid tight security from both Kenya and the British government. The King was met by the Bishop Alphonce Mwaro Baya, who leads Anglican Diocese of Mombasa,
Governor of Mombasa County Abdulswamad Nassir and the Chief Executive Officer of the Coast Interfaith Council of Clerics Stephen Anyenda were also part of the team that the King met.
“His Majesty will hear a discussion on the role of interfaith dialogue in promoting peace, security and development with the Coast Interfaith Council of Clerics members,” the British Commission said.
While at Mombasa, early Thursday, the King was received by President William Ruto where he inspected the guard of honor that was mounted by the Kenya Navy before witnessing Kenya Navy Marine Commandos (KNMC) conduct amphibious landing drills at Mtongwe jetty.
Out of the 56 commonwealth countries with 19 of them from Africa, the King chose Kenya as its first destination. This has really brought an elevation to the country owing to the fact that Kenya still held the Climate Summit which was the first ever for Africa even as Kenya seeks to lead the continent and the world on the use of renewable energy.
This is a clear indication that the President is on the track of bringing elevating the country’s fortunes in the global world. He is trying to set a position for the nation in the global realm.
Fergus Kell the Project Manager and Research Analyst, Africa Program, stamped this truth by saying that the visit is going to uplifts and cements Kenya’s geopolitics position.
“Kenya’s status as a cornerstone of UK engagement in Africa will be further cemented by King Charles’s visit this week- his first outside of Europe as monarch and first to a Commonwealth country as its head, ” Kell wrote in one of his articles.
“One of just four African countries named in the British government’s Integrated Review, Kenya is a financial hub and anchor state in an unsettled region,” he adds.
In one of the speech that the King presented, he confirmed that the presence of many British Kenyans in his country gave him more steam and reason to visit.
“Before traveling here, my wife and I held a reception in London to celebrate the invaluable contribution of Kenyans and British Kenyans to almost every field of British life, from the arts to medicine to academia. I was as touched by their affection for the United Kingdom as I was immensely grateful for what each of them brings to my country. It is the intimacy of our shared history that has brought our people together,” he said.
