The Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi has described King Charles III visit as symbolic and a gesture towards a partnership with mutual benefits for both countries.
Mudavadi says King Charles III choice of Kenya among the 57 commonwealth countries for his first visit after ascending to the throne is a testament of depth of relations and the mutual beneficial nature of Kenya’s partnership with the United Kingdom.
“The trip was a success. It has generated a lot of interest in the country and globally. It is a moment that Kenya reflects nostalgic feeling and the partnership draws back when King Charles’ Mother got the responsibilities on her shoulders. Kenya is significant.”
Mudavadi says the four-day visit will strengthen the Kenya-UK historic ties that have continued to grow steadily, deeper and stronger, enabling the two countries to achieve stable progress especially in trade and investments.
He has termed the visit as timely especially when the Kenya Railways City project a partnership under the UK-Kenya commitment to sustainable transportation is in the pipeline.
“For the King to have chosen Kenya as the first destination among the commonwealth countries and the engagements we have with the UK government on the Nairobi Railway City monumental project signifies our commitment to elevating the lives of all Kenyans through transformative initiatives like never before,” said Mudavadi.
Mudavadi says it was an honour to escort the King in Nairobi and Mombasa in a gesture that he acknowledges to have been bestowed on him through the Presidents directive.
“He is a fine gentleman, he is very humorous, whenever he interacted with ordinary Kenyans from all walks of life, you could see him listening and engaging them in a conversation. He was listening without interruption and offering his opinion at the tail end of the conversation. In a way demystifying what perception was there about the view of the King. He interacted with a broad cross section of ordinary Kenyans,” said Mudavadi.
“I must admit that he has a lot of interests in issues that are people centered. He was very keen on the issue about urban agriculture and how to produce food for the society, he was keen about the innovations for the young people and it demonstrated that he is a person kin to look for solutions about the current challenges speaking to the current generation and looking into the future,” said Mudavadi.
Witnessing an extravaganza showcased by the first-ever Kenyan Marine Commando Unit was exciting in Mombasa; a unit trained by the British Marines from the Commando Royal Marines with the ability to conduct specialised amphibious operations to weaken and disrupt threats by terrorists by land and by sea.
At the state banquet hosted by H.E President William Ruto King Charles said “wrongdoings of the past should not dictate future relations.” He said that addressing them with honesty and openness could “continue to build an ever closer bond in the years ahead.
“The royal visit is a significant opportunity to enhance the Kenya-UK collaboration in various areas of shared interest and we are looking forward to positive engagements in during The Monarchs’ 4-day visit in Kenya,” said Mudavadi.
During his visit The King met community organisations that promote marine conservation, by hosting annual beach clean-up events and engaging local young people in sporting activities, empowerment and training opportunities. He also visited historic sites at the coastal town of Mombasa.
