The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has addressed a growing opposition among some Kenyans regarding the upcoming state visit by His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima to Kenya.
The Ministry confirmed receiving over 300 emails from concerned citizens calling for the cancellation of the visit, which is scheduled for March 18 to March 20, 2025.
This follows a statement from the Netherlands Information Service last week, affirming that the visit, coming at the invitation of President William Ruto, marks a significant milestone in the relations between the two nations.
The Service explained that the visit is part of efforts to strengthen bilateral relations, highlighting Kenya’s growing influence on the global stage.
“The Netherlands seeks to forge new partnerships and deepen existing ties. Kenya plays an increasingly influential role on the global stage,” read part of the statement.
The visit has, however, now drawn sharp criticism from Kenyans on social media, with concerns about insecurity and governance dominating online discussions.
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A segment of the Kenyan public has voiced their disapproval online, prompting them to appeal to the Dutch government for the visit’s cancellation due to the current situation in Kenya.
Dutch Ministry responds to Kenyans
These Kenyans have cited human rights violations such as abductions and enforced disappearances of perceived government critics as well as opposition figures of neighboring countries, among other things.
According to Dutch public broadcasting organization Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS), the country’s Foreign Affairs ministry confirmed receiving the myriad e-mails.
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NOS reported that the ministry insisted that the visit was still on as it is set to present an opportunity to discuss the alleged violations by the President William Ruto government.
“Foreign Affairs confirms when asked, also on behalf of the RVD, that they have received at least three hundred e-mails about the royal visit to Kenya but do not yet have the full picture and are still investigating this,” NOS reported.
“In a written response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also on behalf of the Government Information Service, stated that it is aware of the human rights violations in Kenya, ‘against which the Netherlands speaks out both publicly and in contacts with Kenyan authorities’ and that it sees the visit as an opportunity to ‘discuss difficult topics such as human rights violations.”
Kenyans oppose state visit by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima
The response comes after whistleblower Nelson Amenya shared the relevant contacts and email addresses for Kenyans to “send greetings” to the Royal couple to cancel their visit.
Charles, a social media user, urged the royal family to reconsider their trip, citing unresolved cases of abductions.
“With all due respect to King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, kindly reconsider this state visit in light of Kenya’s current political situation. Government critics have been abducted, and the Kenyan government has been unable or unwilling to investigate and provide full details,” he wrote.
Another user, Kie Julius, shared a screenshot of his email, which read, “Your Majesty King Willem-Alexander, I am writing to you as a concerned Kenyan citizen regarding your planned state visit to our country. While I understand the importance of diplomatic relations, I respectfully urge you to reconsider your itinerary.”
King Willem and Queen Maxima’s visit to Kenya comes after the latter visited the country back in October 2023 in her role as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA).
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