Kenya presides over Dutch royal family as accusation of human rights violations
Nairobi, Kenya (AP) – Kenya will host the Dutch king and queen as allegations of human rights violations continue, Kenyans have written hundreds of emails and requested members of the Dutch royal family to cancel their visits.
The Kenyan government has been accused of arresting and detaining critics, especially after anti-government protests in June 2024, where protesters attacked parliament and were angry at the new taxes passed by lawmakers.
In addition to cracking down on demonstrators and curbing freedom of speech, the country has seen young people’s nationally connected social media posts seen as attacking the president. In December, dozens of peaceful protesters were arrested during protests against widespread kidnapping and kidnapping.
More than 20,000 Kenyans signed the petition on Change.org. The Dutch government said last month that it had received more than 300 emails requesting cancellation, but state-owned visits will proceed as planned.
Dutch royals arrived on Monday night for a three-day visit. King Willem-Alexander received a tribute of 21 shots and inspected the government office of Honor Guard Chairman William Ruto on Tuesday morning.
Amnesty International asked Kenya and the Netherlands to “put human rights at the heart of their visits, address human rights violations and assume responsibility for all victims following the recent human rights crackdown on all victims”.
Kenya is one of several African countries elected to the UN Human Rights Council in October 2024, and human rights organizations have been urging the government to prioritize human rights.
