Kenya church service in memory of Queen
A service to remember Queen Elizabeth II was held in a church in the Kenyan town of Naromoru in Nyeri county on Saturday.
Like many other former British colonies, Kenya has a complicated relationship with the monarchy.
Those living there are conflicted.
“We must celebrate her as a human being, mother and grandmother to her family but at the same time we must state that she has never acknowledged or apologised for the atrocities that were visited upon our parents and grandparents when they were demanding their freedom,” said George Omuwe, a lawyer who attended the service.
He was referring to the Mau Mau rebellion against British colonial rule during which many Kenyans say they were beaten and sexually assaulted by officers acting for the British administration.
St. Philip’s church is where the late Queen worshipped as a princess before ascending to the throne. In 2013, Kenya declared the church a national monument.
The Queen was head of state in Kenya from 1963 to 1964 when the country was an independent sovereign state, and visited on her honeymoon.
By Africanews
