Prominent city lawyers Nelson Havi and Ahmednasir Abdullahi on Friday, 21 March, criticised the Dutch King over his meeting with Chief Justice Martha Koome, terming it “ill-advised, poorly timed, and a gross violation of accountability.”
Through a letter sent to Dutch Ambassador to Kenya, Maarten Brouwer, the two lawyers expressed their dissatisfaction with the meeting, citing the ongoing troubles within the Judiciary under CJ Koome’s leadership, including allegations of graft and poor conduct among judges.
According to the two, the visit of King Willem-Alexander and his wife, Queen Máxima, amounted to an endorsement of the perceived graft-ridden institution, adding that it contradicted the values the Dutch government is associated with.
“We, the undersigned Chairman/President of the Law Society of Kenya, write to you with a heavy heart, a deep sense of betrayal, and utter disappointment to express our profound dismay and strong opposition to the decision of Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima to pay a courtesy call to Chief Justice Martha Koome during their state visit on 20 March 2025,” the letter read.
“The visit was a stab in the back of the toiling Kenyans, a betrayal of their historic quest to have a Judiciary that is free of corruption and incompetence, and a royal seal of approval that the Dutch Government stands with Kenya’s thieving and corrupt Judiciary,” it further added.
During the meeting between the two royals and CJ Koome, the latter highlighted the key areas of discussion, chief among them judicial independence and the need to protect the courts from external influence.
However, the two lawyers dismissed the meeting, accusing the royals of overlooking the issues plaguing the Judiciary in favour of diplomatic pleasantries and photo sessions.
In the recent past, Havi has led a section of city lawyers in calling for the resignation of CJ Koome and the rest of the Supreme Court judges. In January 2025, filed a petition to the Judiciary Service Commission (JSC) calling for the removal of all seven Supreme Court judges
In the petition, Havi urged the JSC to compel President William Ruto to form a tribunal and begin the process of firing the seven accusing them of gross misconduct and misbehaviour among other issues.
Havi and his counterpart urged the Dutch ambassador to convey their frustrations and condemnation to the Dutch government and the monarchy citing the adverse effects of the engagement with Koome.
“We urge you as the Dutch Ambassador to Kenya to convey our strong protest to your government and consider the calamitous implication of the Royal courtesy call to Chief Justice Koome,” the letter stated.
Detailing their frustrations, the two opined that the monarchs would have used the State visit to engage in other meaningful engagements other than meeting Koome.
“We are of the view, that the Netherlands had a golden opportunity to use the State visit to engage meaningfully with Kenya's civil society and other stakeholders who are fighting for a just, equitable society, and a credible Judiciary, rather than aligning with a figurehead of a compromised and discredited institution that is at the sunset of its tenure,” they expressed.
The Dutch King had been in Kenya for a three-day official state visit where he met President William Ruto and engaged with key stakeholders in various sectors of the economy.
