KING & QUEEN host Kenya Reception

October 24th 2023

King and Queen host Kenya Reception ahead of Historic State Visit

On Tuesday, October 24th, 2023, Their Majesties The King and Queen hosted a reception at Buckingham Palace for members of the UK-Kenyan community. This event took place as Kenya prepares to celebrate 60 years of independence and in anticipation of Their Majesties’ state visit to Kenya.
 
The just-concluded state visit, from 31st October to 3rd November, was at the invitation of President William Ruto. It marked The King's first visit to a Commonwealth nation as monarch and a significant return to Kenya, where Queen Elizabeth II had visited in 1952 when she acceded to the throne. 
 
The reception at Buckingham Palace was attended by a delegation from the Kenya Society, led by Chairman Mr. Juvenal Shiundu and Vice Patron, Patrick Orr. Also in attendance were Kenya's High Commissioner to the UK, HE Manoah Esipisu, dignitaries including Ms. Roseline Njogu, Principal Secretary for Diaspora Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Kenyans in the diaspora, and other Friends of Kenya were also in attendance.

Guests received a warm welcome from palace staff and enjoyed music, drinks, and canapés in the Blue Drawing Room. The adjoining Music Room showcased items from the Royal Collection Trust, highlighting the Royal Family's longstanding connection with Kenya. This included photographs of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip's visit just days before her ascension to the throne, as well as excerpts from a speech delivered by Prince Philip during Kenya's independence celebrations in 1963. Gifts exchanged during previous state visits, such as a three-legged stool from President Jomo Kenyatta and a soapstone from President Moi, were also on display.

To mark the occasion, the Kenya Society gifted Their Majesties with two gifts. The first was a book titled "50 Years Since Independence: Where is Kenya?" featuring 50 trailblazers, including our very own Chairman Shiundu. Chairman Shiundu authored a chapter in the book on Kenya's maritime sector, which was published in 2013 and offers diverse perspectives on Kenya's journey since independence. The second gift was a hand-beaded belt made by Maasai women, generously donated by Society member, Stuart Squire, of Manyatta Belts. 

Presenting the book, Chairman Shiundu said: 
 
To their Majesties, with heartfelt congratulations on the momentous occasion of hosting a reception to mark the 60th anniversary of Kenya’s independence. May this book serve as a token and testament to the strong bond between our two nations and a symbol of our shared commitment to friendship, peace, progress and prosperity. 
 
In a press release issued by the Kenya High Commission, PS Njogu said: 

"We commend Their Majesties the King and Queen for recognising and honouring Kenya's diaspora community for their positive contributions in a first-of-its-kind event. We are also proud of the exemplary and trend-setting work and effort in fostering people-to-people relations between the two countries by Kenyans in the United Kingdom.”
 
High Commissioner Esipisu added: 
 
"This was a huge moment for Kenyans in the UK ahead of the Royal Visit, a moment that attests to Kenya's significant influence with the UK and our strong bilateral relations." 
 
…Their Majesties’ historic visit to Kenya
 
Kenya and the UK share a close historical bond and have developed strong trade and investment partnerships. Collaboration in areas such as military cooperation and climate change mitigation has further strengthened the relationship.
 
During their state visit to Kenya, the King and Queen were hosted by President William Ruto and visited Nairobi, Mombasa, and surrounding areas. The visit was carefully designed to showcase Kenya-UK collaboration across various domains, notably in boosting mutual prosperity, tackling climate change, promoting youth opportunities and employment, advancing sustainable development, and creating a more stable and secure

At a State Banquet hosted by President Ruto, His Majesty The King said: 
 
It means a great deal to my wife and myself that, in our Coronation year, our first State Visit to a Commonwealth country should bring us here to Kenya. We both take considerable pride in renewing the ties between the United Kingdom and Kenya, a country that has long held such special meaning for my family.
 
Najiskia kama niko nyumbani.
 
It is well known, I think, that my dear Mother, The late Queen, had a particular affection for Kenya and the Kenyan people. She arrived here in nineteen fifty-two a Princess, but left as Queen. It is extremely moving to read her diary from that visit, in which she wrote that she did not want to miss a moment of Kenya’s extraordinary landscapes. I really cannot thank you enough for the support Kenya gave her through that difficult time.
 
The King and Queen's program paid tribute to the close ties between the British and Kenyan people, particularly in creative arts, technology, enterprise, education, and innovation. The visit also acknowledged the more painful aspects of the shared history between the two nations, including the Emergency period from 1952 to 1960. Speaking at the State Banquet, His Majesty said, “The wrongdoings of the past are a cause of the greatest sorrow and the deepest regret. There were abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence committed against Kenyans as they waged, as you said at the United Nations, a painful struggle for independence and sovereignty – and for that, there can be no excuse.” During the visit to Kenya His Majesty devoted time to deepen his understanding of the hardships endured by the people of Kenya during that period.
 
The Kenya Society was honoured to participate in the momentous celebrations at Buckingham Palace, underscoring the warm ties between the UK and Kenya as both nations reflect on their shared history and anticipate a bright future together.

-ENDS-

PR and Communications Team 
Kenya Society UK