Following the formal submission of a petition by a delegation of Kenyans in the Netherlands urging the Dutch government to reconsider a planned state visit by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima to Kenya in March 2025, Dutch Human Rights Ambassador Wim Geerts has visited the country.
This comes after the submission of the petition signed by over 22,000 Kenyans and allies worldwide which raised concerns over human rights violations under President William Ruto’s administration.
The petition was delivered to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and received by Ambassador Wim Geerts in the first week of February.
Ambassador Geerts on Tuesday, February 18, met Prime Cabinet Secretary (PCS) Musalia Mudavadi and representatives of the Kenyan civil society and human rights defenders.
Dutch Ambassador Wim Geerts in Kenya
The envoy in a statement said that he held valuable discussions about the human rights situation in Kenya where he raised several concerns.
“Valuable discussions with representatives of Kenyan civil society and human rights defenders as well as with Kenyan authorities, including PCS Mudavadi, about the human rights situation in Kenya. Raised NL concerns and discussed opportunities for cooperation,” said Ambassador Geerts.
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On his part, PCS Mudavadi who also serves as the Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary said that they reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to upholding and protecting human rights, guided by its Constitution and international law with the country set to serve on the UN Human Rights Council (2025–2027).
He further said that strong partnerships, mutual respect, and open dialogue are key to this mission.
“Human rights are also central to Dutch foreign policy, and Kenya looks forward to collaborating with the Netherlands, especially in supporting human rights defenders and advancing equal rights for all,” added Mudavadi.
The visit by Ambassador Geerts comes after he received a petition on February 6 during his conversation with the Kenyan diaspora regarding the human rights situation in Kenya and the upcoming state visit by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima.
During the submission of the petition, Kenyan representatives highlighted issues such as extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, police brutality against protesters, and economic mismanagement.
They argued that proceeding with the visit would signal international approval of a government accused of suppressing dissent and failing to uphold human rights.
Among the key concerns raised was the Kenyan government’s handling of recent anti-government protests.
Petition
The petitioners while citing reports from human rights organizations pointed to cases where Police in Kenya allegedly covered up protest-related killings, misreporting them as accidents.
In response, Ambassador Geerts acknowledged the concerns and assured the delegation that human rights would remain a key discussion point during the state visit.
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He further discussed the criticism of the visit and listened to the concerns put forward by Kenyans in the Netherlands.
“It is good to hear what the concerns are and to talk about them. That also helps me do my job more effectively. We will continue to do so during the state visit, when there will be discussions with the Kenyan authorities as well as community-based organizations and young people,” he said.
The Dutch government in a statement said that the ambassador would travel to Kenya later in the month to talk with young people, representatives of civil society organizations, human rights defenders and the Kenyan authorities.
Despite this response, the delegation insisted that economic and diplomatic interests should not come at the expense of human rights, calling on the Dutch government to take a firmer stance by either postponing the visit or making an official statement recognizing the human rights crisis in Kenya.
Kenyans spam Royal email
The petition notably came after the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs while addressing the growing opposition among some Kenyans regarding the upcoming state visit confirmed of receiving over 300 emails from concerned citizens calling for the cancellation of the visit, which is scheduled for March 18 to March 20, 2025.
According to Dutch public broadcasting organization Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS), the country’s Foreign Affairs ministry confirmed receiving the myriad e-mails.
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 Ruto’s government.
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