King Charles handed war medals to 117-year-old veteran Cpl. Samwel Nthigai Mburia during his visit to Kenyain a powerful moment.
Mburia was one of the many at Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s Kariokor cemetery waiting patiently to meet the King on Wednesday.
He served for Britain during World War 2 under the command of Queen Elizabeth II, who was Queen of Kenya at the time.
Mburia was honoured with several medals, which he reluctantly threw away, because if he was found with them, he could have been a target of the Mau Mau resistance.
Charles came prepared for his meeting with Mburia, presenting him with medals to replace those he had lost.
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He held a tray of shiny medals in front of Mburia, saying: “I hope they’re all the right ones there.”
Mburia was born in 1906, which is believed to makeshim the oldest man in the world. Charles commented of his longevity “you must be on wild locusts and honey or something” to which Mburia smiled back.
In the afternoon, Charles met with a woman named Evelyn Kimathi in a private meeting.
Her father led a resistance and was killed by the British. She asked the King for help in finding his body.
