King Charles III observes a drill In Kenya by the African country's British-trained marine unit
Kenya Marines, trained by their British counterparts as part of their countries' long-standing defense cooperation, have put on a drill for King Charles III
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.King Charles III observed a drill by an elite unit of British-trained Kenya Marines in the coastal city of Mombasa on Thursday, the third day of his first state visit to a Commonwealth country as monarch.
Earlier in the visit, Charles cited the “abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of violence” committed against Kenyans as they sought independence though he didn’t explicitly apologize for Britain’s actions in its former colony as many Kenyans wanted.
Charles, who holds the rank of Captain General of the Royal Marines, and Queen Camilla visited the Mtongwe Naval Base in the city of Mombasa, where the British monarch inspected an honor guard and together with Kenya’s President William Ruto attended a military ceremony Thursday.
They watched as Kenya Marines demonstrated a covert beach landing, after which the royal couple met the marines and their families.
Kenya and the United Kingdom have a long-standing defense cooperation and in May this year, they partnered to create the first marine military commando unit meant to boost the Kenyan military as an anchor of East Africa's regional stability and security.
Kenya and Somalia have faced militant attacks from al-Qaeda linked al-Shabab, including in Mombasa, where the British king and queen visited Thursday.
Later, Charles visited a marine conservation project in Mombasa, meeting beach cleanup activists along the Indian Ocean coastline and organizations that have recycled plastic waste to make a dhow and other products.
Kenya is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its independence this year. It has had a close but at times challenging relationship with Britain after the prolonged struggle against colonial rule, sometimes known as the Mau Mau Rebellion, in which thousands of Kenyans died.
On Wednesday, Charles held a private meeting with the family of the executed leader of the Kenyan rebellion against British colonial rule, Dedan Kimathi, and also met with families of other well-known Kenyan freedom fighters.