King Charles, who is Captain General of Royal Marines, meets British forces in Kenya

King Charles and Queen Camilla on Thursday met Kenyan and British forces and military families before watching a training exercise at Mtongwe Naval Base in Mombasa, according to a statement issued by Buckingham Palace.

The king 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.

The statement issued on the Instagram and Twitter accounts of the royal family accompanied two clips of the king and his wife meeting military men and their families.

For decades, Britain has sent its forces to train in central Kenya but their presence has long attracted controversy, with soldiers accused of rape and murder, and civilians maimed by munitions.

King Charles is steering clear of the British base at Nanyuki during his royal visit to Kenya this week that has stirred mixed emotions in the former Crown colony.

The British Army Training Unit in Kenya (BATUK), a permanent base around 200 kilometres (125 miles) north of Nairobi, is an economic lifeline for many in Nanyuki, but has proved a lightning rod for criticism.

Victims of alleged BATUK misconduct, including those afflicted by unexploded ordnance, had planned to march in the capital ahead of the king´s visit, but police denied them permission to hold the rally.