King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands Tuesday urged President William Ruto to ensure rights and freedoms of Kenyans are respected, challenging him to uphold “human rights, good governance and accountability.”

The Dutch royal, who arrived in the country Monday evening alongside Queen Máxima, said he would give attention to discussing the issues during his three-day state visit.

“The people of Kenya, like those of the Netherlands, want their rights as free citizens to be respected, and their voices be heard,” King Willem-Alexander said at State House, Nairobi, moments after a 21-gun salute rang out in his honour.

Earlier, he and Ruto witnessed the signing of memoranda of understanding in trade, agriculture and tourism, as well as a letter of intent on water infrastructure development.

Ruto, too, challenged the Dutch king against abandoning his role on the global stage, which includes support for peace initiatives and other pressing issues.

“At the time of fraying partnerships, I urge their majesties to maintain Netherlands’ commitment to the principles of global solidarity and subsidiarity. In particular, I implored their majesties to extend support to the eighth replenishment of the United Nations global fund as it seeks to mobilise resources to battle difficult health challenges,” said Ruto, announcing the two had directed their Foreign Affairs ministers to hold bilateral discussions about collaborations in peace, climate change, among other issues.

Willem-Alexander met young Kenyans Tuesday morning at the Dutch ambassador’s residence over human rights issues, with the king saying he was hoping to “hear their views on recent developments”.

“What opportunities do they see to build a bright future for the country they love? A future in which everyone can participate on an equal footing. Legal certainty has a fundamental role to pay in this respect, and is also essential for Kenya’ economic development,” added the Dutch royal.

The monarch’s remarks follow a futile push by significant sections of Kenyans urging the Dutch Head of State against visiting Kenya. In January, the European nation’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said it had received over 300 emails from Kenyans asking the royal couple to cancel their trip.

Last month, a delegation of Kenyans in the Netherlands submitted a petition to the Dutch government opposing the state visit. Some 22,000 Kenyans and allies worldwide signed the petition that raised concerns about human rights violations by Ruto’s administration, including the killings and abductions of critics of the government.

Representatives met the nation’s human rights ambassador, Wim Geerts, highlighting extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, police brutality against protesters, and economic mismanagement, among other issues.

“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,” Geerts said then.

Willem-Alexander’s discussions with the young Kenyans likely featured the state’s clampdown on last year’s youth-led protests over proposals to hike taxes for basic commodities.

“We believe in the future of Kenya; future that will be determined by the Kenyan people. With a population whose average is 20, your country is fortunate that it can rely on the ideas and energy of millions of young Kenyans,” the Dutch king stated.

The government’s heavy-handed reaction to the revolt, which featured abductions, killings and the maiming of protesters, has been criticized widely. Human rights groups estimate that state security agencies killed more than 60 Kenyans, with over 80 reported as missing by December 2024. The rights bodies have kept the pressure on the Head of State to end the abductions. Last December, Ruto said his government would end the abductions but they continued for weeks.

The president has also faced external pressure over the abductions. During former President Joe Biden’s tenure, the United States of America consistently demanded an end to abductions.

Last August, Uzra Zeya, the US’ former State Department’s Undersecretary for Civilian Security, Human Rights and Labour, said Kenya risked consequences over the police brutality against peaceful protesters.

“US security systems, partnerships, cooperation programmes are also subject to US law that requires that we are vigilant with respect to our partners upholding human rights and where there allegations of gross violations of human rights we have to be attentive and call for accountability,” Ms Zeya said then.

Like Willem-Alexander, Zeya met civil society representatives and “young change-makers and democratic reformers.”

Her visit was seen as perhaps the most significant expression of Washington’s concern over the violations of human rights by Ruto’s administration. Former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also pressured Ruto over the rights abuses.