NAIROBI, Kenya — The Kingdom of the Netherlands’ monarchs are visiting Kenya amidst increasing allegations of human rights violations in the nation. Citizens of Kenya have voiced their discontent by writing numerous emails and rallying behind a petition urging the royal couple to reconsider their official journey.
The Kenyan administration faces accusations of stifling dissent through arrests and detentions, especially following anti-government demonstrations in June. During these protests, citizens expressed outrage by breaching parliamentary buildings and setting fires in response to newly imposed taxes. The crackdown also saw a rise in state-linked kidnappings targeting young men over social media postings perceived as offensive towards the president. In December, peaceful protestors rallying against rampant kidnappings were themselves detained by authorities.
A petition circulated on Change.org garnered the support of more than 20,000 Kenyans, appealing to King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima to abort their trip. While the Dutch government acknowledged receiving over 300 emails echoing this sentiment, it confirmed that the state visit would proceed as planned.
The Dutch monarchs made their entrance into Kenya on Monday evening for a scheduled three-day stay. King Willem-Alexander was received with a 21-gun salute and conducted an honor guard inspection, as affirmed by the office of President William Ruto on Tuesday morning.
On the streets, the atmosphere amongst Kenyans was notably subdued on the inaugural day of the royals’ visit. International relations professor Macharia Munene of the United States International University-Africa attributed this to the pervasive “low morale” permeating the country.
“There is a pervasive lack of trust in the government and its purported values, partly because key public services such as health and education are failing,” Munene remarked. “The diplomatic influence that Kenya once held has significantly diminished.”
Ahead of the visit, Amnesty International called on both Kenya and the Netherlands to prioritize human rights discussions. It urged them to acknowledge the recent violent suppression of rights and commit to justice for victims.
In October, Kenya was elected to the U.N Human Rights Council alongside other African nations, with rights organizations pushing the government to uphold civil liberties as a priority.
