Dutch Govt Confirms Visit Despite Receiving 300 Emails from Kenyans

Ruto King Willem
President William Ruto and King of Netherlands Willem-Alexander at a past event. PHOTO/ Courtesy.

The Dutch government has issued a response after at least 300 emails from disgruntled Kenyans were sent requesting the cancellation of a planned state visit by His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima.

Over the weekend, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed receiving numerous emails seeking to have the visit slated for March 18 to March 20, 2025, cancelled.

This followed an announcement from the Royal House of the Netherlands, who confirmed they would honour a special invite by President William Ruto to visit Kenya - the first time such an event is taking place. 

Ruto Trip Plane
President William Ruto onboarding a plane during a recent trip to Accra, Ghana on January 2025.
PCS

According to Dutch public broadcaster Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS), Kenyans, who have developed a knack of fiercely criticising Ruto's government, have strongly opposed the visit, citing the country's current state as one of the main reasons why Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima should stay away.

"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,"  a report from NOS stated.

A majority of the emails revolved around the violation of human rights in the country, particularly after the recent spate of abductions and disappearances of Kenyans who criticised the government before being reported missing.

Despite receiving warnings from Kenyans on the planned visit, the Dutch Foreign Affairs Ministry has confirmed the visit will still take place.

While acknowledging the awareness of the emails and potential cases of human rights violations in Kenya, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, speaking on behalf of the Government Information Service (RVD), reiterated the visit would be the perfect opportunity to speak up on the issues at hand.

"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 is in contact with Kenyan authorities" and that it sees the visit as an opportunity to "discuss difficult topics such as human rights violations," the article from NOS went on.

The Dutch Royal Palace had earlier indicated that the key priority on the King's visit to Kenya is to foster new partnerships while cultivating already existing relationships.

There are also plans for Kenya and the Netherlands to collaborate on areas of mutual interest including sustainable agriculture, water management, and climate action.

A photo of a section of the Netherland's capital city Amsterdam.
A photo of a section of the Netherlands' capital city Amsterdam.
Photo
Guardian
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