A section of lawmakers from the Netherlands House of Representatives has raised questions on the safety of King Willem-Alexander’s visit to Kenya.
The Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad (AD), on Monday, March 10, disclosed that the King’s planned visit to Kenya was causing discomfort among Dutch Members of Parliament, particularly those from the opposition.
The concerns follow a report by Amnesty International and other non-governmental organisations that highlighted the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the country.
Among them is Marieke Wijen-Nass, an MP affiliated with the Farmer Citizen Movement or the Boer Burger Beweging (BBB), who questioned the significance of the King’s visit to Kenya.
Marieke also demanded an explanation from the Dutch government on whether the King was guaranteed safety during his visit to Kenya amidst the recent unrest in the country.
“Trade relations are important, but the Dutch government must be able to demonstrate that the state visit yields results, both economically and diplomatically,” Marieke questioned.
She went ahead to add, “Is there any prospect of improvements in the human rights situation? Is there a concrete plan to give Dutch entrepreneurs a stronger position in Kenya? If not, the timing of this visit is incomprehensible.”
Marieke’s sentiments were backed by Lauren Dassen of the Volt party, who also expressed worries about a possible counterproductive effect of the state visit. “The King should not allow himself to be used as a pawn by the Kenyan government," Laurens commented.
The latest development comes on the back of the recent petitions by a section of Kenyans to the Dutch government calling for the cancellation of the king's visit to the country because President William Ruto's administration undermined human rights.
In mid-January, Kenyan activists in the Netherlands also presented a 22,000-signature document to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanding the withdrawal of the state visit.
However, in response, the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs termed the petitions, which were submitted online, as misinformation aimed at undermining the credibility of the Kenya Kwanza administration.
In particular, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musaia Mudavadi pointed an accusing finger at social media influencers whom he faulted for spreading fake information regarding the Kenyan government.
"These activities initially sparked by genuine protests by Gen-Z have evolved into organized cyber attacks by a few social media influencers and seek to delegitimize government initiatives," Mudavadi said.
