The visit by British King Charles to Kenya, according to Belgut Member of Parliament Nelson Koech, is an honor for the nation and evidence of how the UK handles Kenya "with seriousness."

Tuesday marks the start of Charles and Queen Camilla's four-day state visit, having arrived in the nation on Monday.


President William Ruto has invited the royal family, who are making their first official trip to an African country and a Commonwealth member state since their coronation in May.

It happens as Kenya gets ready to commemorate 60 years of being free from British rule.


Koech calls Charles and Camilla's visit to the nation at this time "extremely significant and a great honor."

"It should be remembered that when Queen Elizabeth rose to the throne she was in Kenya, in Nyeri; it should be extremely significant for them to be back," Koech told Citizen TV during Tuesday's Day Break program, referencing Charles's mother, who died in September last year after a 70-year reign.

"That indicates the seriousness the UK treats Kenya [with] as an anchor state in the region. That is extremely, extremely important."

The MP maintained that Kenya stands to gain much from the visit, including a possible uptick in the travel and tourism industry.

"This nation ought to capitalize on its popularity as a travel destination. There is a lot of anticipation for the visit, and I'm confident that we will have gained a lot as a nation by the time it ends, Koech stated.


There have been demands for the British monarch to issue an apology while on the trip for the horrors committed during the country's violent suppression of the Mau Mau uprising, which resulted in the deaths of roughly 10,000 people.

On October 11, Buckingham Palace stated that the visit was intended to commemorate the "warm relationship" that exists between the two nations as well as "acknowledge the more painful aspects of the UK and Kenya's shared history including the Emergency" (a reference to violent uprisings against colonial rule) that occurred between 1952 and 1960.

"His Majesty will take time during the visit to deepen his understanding of the wrongs suffered in this period by the people of Kenya," said the palace.


Charles will meet with veterans and approve the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's efforts "to ensure Kenyans and Africans who supported British efforts in the World Wars are properly commemorated," according to a press release issued by the British High Commission in Nairobi on Monday evening.