The government has issued a statement after Kenyans sent over 300 emails to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting the cancellation of His Majesty King Willem-Alexander's trip to Kenya.
In a statement on Thursday, January 16, the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs raised alarm over what they termed as an 'increase in cyber activities allegedly aimed at discrediting the government.'
It highlighted the use of misinformation which it attributes to organized efforts by a small group of social media influencers.
"These activities, initially sparked by genuine protests by "Gen Zs," have evolved into organised cyber attacks by a few social media influencers and seek to delegitimize government initiatives, discourage high-level visits, de-campaign Kenya's candidates for international and regional positions, while sending intimidatory messages to members of the international community," the statement read.
The Ministry noted that most attacks involve artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes, however, reassuring its partners that measures are underway to counter these cyber challenges.
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"The Ministry notes that these cyber activities majority of which are Al-generated deepfakes, fabricated narratives, widespread misinformation campaigns, and coordinated auto-generated emails are unfortunately being sent to foreign capitals.
"The Ministry seeks to reassure all partners that all efforts are underway to address these challenges including but not limited to the development of a Technology Responsibility Charter aimed at promoting accountability and ethical practices in the digital space," the statement further read.
The Ministry acknowledged domestic issues that contributed to public discontent, outlining steps put in place to address the concerns.
It includes the establishment of a more inclusive administration to reflect a broad-based government and the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024.
The Ministry also noted that efforts are underway to expand and protect civic space, including the creation of a Multistakeholder Forum (MSF) on Open Government to foster collaboration with civil society, development partners, and diplomatic missions.
Additionally, the government stated that a State of Openness Report is currently being developed, and public input is welcomed.
"The Ministry assures all Diplomatic Missions, UN Agencies, and International Organizations of its willingness to discuss any concerns or clarifications and remains open to addressing these shared risks while fostering constructive dialogue, mutual understanding, and adherence to its constitutional and international obligations.
"The Ministry encourages continued engagement and affirms Kenya's commitment to maintaining a stable and cooperative international environment," the statement concluded.
According to the Dutch public broadcasting organisation Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS), the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed receiving over 300 emails from Kenyans expressing concerns over human rights violations including abductions and enforced disappearances of government critics.
Despite these concerns, the Dutch government has stated that the visit will proceed as planned.
They view the trip as an opportunity to discuss pressing issues, such as human rights violations, directly with Kenyan authorities.
“In a written response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also on behalf of the Government Information Service, stated that it is aware of the human rights violations in Kenya, ‘against which the Netherlands speaks out both publicly and in contacts with Kenyan authorities’ and that it sees the visit as an opportunity to ‘discuss difficult topics such as human rights violations," NOS said.
Kenyans have been up in arms over the recent abductions being witnessed in the country. The abductions have been on the rise since the Gen Z protests in July 2024.
Social media influencers Kibet Bull, Billi Mwangi, and three other youthful Kenyans were abducted in December 2024 before they were released in January 2025.
It's not clear who abducted them with the government saying they are investigating the cases. However, President Ruto promised to stop the abductions amid mounting pressure from the public.
