“There can be no excuse” for atrocities committed against Kenyans during British colonization, the East African country’s King Charles III said on Tuesday, without apologizing to both the country’s officials and the voices of non-governmental organizations, AFP reported.

“Heinous and unjustified acts of violence were perpetrated against Kenyans as they (…) waged a painful struggle for independence and sovereignty. And there can be no excuse for that,” said the British monarch at a state dinner hosted by Kenyan President William Ruto.

“With honesty and openness, perhaps we can demonstrate the strength of our friendship today, and in doing so, I hope we can continue to build even closer ties in the years to come,” he added.

For his part, Ruto said the response of the colonial authorities to the self-determination movements in Kenya was “horribly brutal”, to the point of “the worst manifestations of colonial impunity”.

Inconvenient truths

Charles’ “courage and willingness” to “shed light on uncomfortable truths” is the first step toward “progress beyond the timid and ambiguous half-measures of recent years.”

Charles III earlier made a symbolic visit to the site of Kenya’s independence on the first day of a visit to the East African country, where calls for an apology have grown.

The four-day visit, which came just weeks before the former colony’s 60th anniversary of independence, was Charles III’s first as king to a Commonwealth country.

The visit by Charles, 74, and Queen Camilla, 76, underlines the “strong and dynamic partnership between the UK and Kenya”, the British embassy said.

But Buckingham also said it would be an opportunity to discuss “the most painful aspects of the shared history” of the two countries.

One of the bloodiest episodes was the Mau Mau Rebellion, whose suppression by the British colonial authorities resulted in over 10,000 deaths between 1952 and 1960. 32 settlers were also killed.

Many Kenyan veterans’ and human rights groups expected more from British authorities, who have so far limited themselves to expressing “sincere regret” over colonial violence in Kenya in 2013.

On Sunday, the non-governmental organization Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) called on the king to “make an unconditional and unequivocal public apology” for atrocities committed “throughout the colonial period” (1895-1963). KHRC also sought compensation.

In 2013, after years of litigation, London agreed to pay compensation to more than 5,000 Kenyans who were abused during the Mau Mau rebellion. After deducting legal costs, each received around £2,600 (€3,000).