On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands are scheduled to visit Kenya. Under normal circumstances, this would be a moment of shared celebration between two nations bound by a history of trade, agriculture, and development cooperation. As regional hubs, both countries have ports that serve as important channels to large hinterlands, facilitating commerce across continents. But these are not normal times.
Deepening crisis
Since President William Ruto’s election in 2022, Kenya has faced a deepening political and economic crisis. By 2024, inflation had become a significant problem. In 2023, prices rose by an average of 7.9%, with essentials like food, fuel, and education becoming even more expensive. Instead of alleviating citizens' suffering, the government introduced a new tax plan that further strained the finances of those already struggling, intensifying public anger and frustration.
This led to massive youth-led protests that broke out in June 2024, largely organized on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Kenya’s youth—who make up nearly 75% of the population (UNFPA, 2023)—turned out in force, protesting not only the taxes but also widespread corruption, unemployment, and broken promises of development.
The government responded with lethal force
Despite peaceful demonstrations, the government responded with lethal force. Since June 2024, at least 60 people have been killed and 71 forcibly disappeared, according to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) (AP, Aug 2024). Human Rights Watch has also documented abductions, arbitrary arrests, torture, and killings of protest leaders (HRW, Nov 2024). Abductions of activists and vocal critics have become a hallmark of this administration, with people taken from their homes and the streets—many never seen again. A royal visit that proceeds without addressing these urgent issues risks legitimising a government that is violently oppressing its own people.
As Kenyans living in the Netherlands, we watch in deep pain and frustration as our families, friends, and communities back home endure state violence, economic hardship, and political repression. Although we live abroad, we remain deeply connected to home, and what happens in Kenya affects us every day because those suffering are our loved ones.
We speak out not only because of the pain we see but also because we believe in Kenya’s immense potential. The country holds a strategic economic position in Africa, serving as a regional hub with thriving industries, a young and educated population, and vast resources. Yet this potential is being undermined by a government that has failed to address corruption, tackle unemployment, and protect the basic rights of its people.
That is why we cannot remain silent.
Solidarity
A month after the tax protests erupted in Kenya in July 2024, we organised protests in The Hague, Netherlands, including marches to the Kenyan Embassy and the International Criminal Court (ICC), demanding accountability and standing in solidarity with Kenyans back home. We chanted for justice under the banner #RutoMustGo, but beyond slogans, we demanded real change: an end to killings, abductions, and corrupt governance.
We also organised forums and civic education fundraisers, recognising that Kenya’s leadership crisis is deeply rooted in a lack of civic accountability. In collaboration with partners such as Mizani 254, we funded a civic education conference in Kenya to empower citizens to challenge corrupt leadership.
The Dutch Royal Visit feels like a slap in the face
Against this background, the Dutch royal family's planned visit to Kenya feels like a slap in the face to Kenyans who are fighting for their lives and rights.
We understand that Kenya and the Netherlands share significant trade ties, particularly in agriculture and horticulture, which support both economies. In 2021, bilateral trade was valued at over €140 billion (CBS Netherlands Statistics). But business must not come before human rights.
The same young people being abducted and killed are the backbone of the workforce sustaining trade between Kenya and the Netherlands. If they are not safe in their own country, what does that say about the foundation of these economic ties? Imagine if large numbers of Dutch youth—the future of the nation’s economy—were abducted or killed simply for speaking out. Would business continue as usual? This is the daily reality for Kenyan youth, the very people behind the agricultural exports that stock Dutch supermarkets.
International Criminal Court
Furthermore, President Ruto has unresolved allegations at the International Criminal Court (ICC) related to crimes against humanity during Kenya's 2007–2008 post-election violence—a case that was dropped due to witness intimidation and disappearances, not exoneration. Engaging in a state visit without addressing these facts would be a troubling endorsement of a leader linked to serious crimes.
Kenya’s youth deserve a future free from fear and violence
In response, we, together with Kenyans worldwide, launched a petition asking the Dutch government and royal family to reconsider this visit unless human rights are addressed directly and publicly. To date, over 22,000 Kenyans and allies have signed the petition, and on 6th February 2025, we held a meeting with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Human Rights Ambassador Wim Geerts and Director Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Stijn Janssen. The meeting was secured after numerous emails and calls to the Ministry's official contact points, underscoring the urgency of the human rights situation in Kenya and the need for the Dutch government to hear directly from concerned Kenyan voices.
We emphasised that Kenya’s youth deserve a future free from fear and violence. We made it clear that Kenya’s economic agreements can only be sustainable if founded on respect for human dignity and the rule of law.
We also took the petition to the Tweede Kamer (Dutch Parliament) on March 4, following persistent outreach. Representatives from multiple political parties—including D66 (Democraten 66), PVV (Partij voor de Vrijheid), BBB (BoerBurgerBeweging), NSC (Nieuw Sociaal Contract), and PvdA (Partij van de Arbeid)—acknowledged the gravity of the situation and promised to raise these issues within their parties and with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Following this, ChristenUnie (CU), GroenLinks, PvdA, DENK, Volt, CDA, and SP spoke out in the media and raised questions about the visit.
We ask the Royal Family to stand with Kenyans
We are not asking the royal family to abandon Kenya. Rather, we urge them to stand with Kenyans, not with repression. We call for human rights to be central to every engagement and meeting during this visit and urge the Dutch government to clearly and publicly condemn human rights abuses in Kenya.
Furthermore, all trade agreements and economic deals must be contingent on respect for human rights and democratic principles, as a partnership that overlooks oppression ultimately sustains it.
Jaya Khamala and Beth Njeri are Kenyan human rights and good governance advocates based in the Netherlands, working closely with the Kenyan community to raise awareness about human rights violations and governance challenges in Kenya.
