Kenyans in Netherlands deliver petition seeking reconsideration of Dutch royals' visit

Among the key concerns raised was the Kenyan government’s handling of recent anti-government protests. Citing reports from human rights organizations, the petitioners pointed to cases where police allegedly covered up protest-related killings, misreporting them as accidents.

In response, Ambassador Geerts acknowledged the concerns and assured the delegation that human rights would remain a key discussion point during the state visit.

“It is good to hear what concerns are at stake and to discuss them. That also helps me to do my work better. The Netherlands is discussing this topic in all sorts of ways. This will also be discussed during the state visit, where discussions will be held with the Kenyan authorities as well as with social organisations and young people,” he said.  

Despite this response, the delegation insists that economic and diplomatic interests should not come at the expense of human rights, calling on the Dutch government to take a firmer stance by either postponing the visit or making an official statement recognising the human rights crisis in Kenya.