King Willem-Alexander inspects the Guard of Honor at the State House, Nairobi on March 18, 2025./PCSKing Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands were accorded a red-carpet reception during their state visit to Kenya.
This follows the arrival of the Dutch royal family to the country on Monday evening where they were received by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Agriculture CS Mutahi Kagwe among other leaders.
The event, which happened at State House Nairobi on Tuesday morning, saw President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto welcome the duo who were accompanied by other Dutch leaders.
King Willem-Alexander in an impeccably tailored blue suit stepped out of the vehicle with the Queen who was dressed in a rich muted coral ensemble and maroon shoes.
The red carpet state welcome was accompanied by a display of military traditions and precision which saw the royal family accorded the ceremonial 21-gun salute as the President and King of the Netherlands stood side by side.
The gun salute was fired in honour of the distinguished guests symbolising respect and diplomatic ties between the two nations.
King Willem-Alexander then proceeded to inspect the Guard of Honour which were positioned in synchronised formations displaying discipline and national pride.
After the Guard of Honor, His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Maxima then went ahead to greet the assembled leaders.
The visit will involve engagements in bilateral relations and investment opportunities between the two countries.
The couple will engage in high-level meetings with Ruto and other government officials to discuss collaboration in governance, peace and security, and economic development.
The signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) in sectors such as tourism, trade, agriculture, and logistics will further strengthen investment opportunities and business partnerships.
As part of the Netherlands' contribution to President Ruto’s campaign to grow 15 billion trees by 2032 to increase the country's forest cover and help combat climate change, the King and Queen will plant a tree in Nairobi.
The initiative also underlines the country’s (Netherlands) efforts on nature conservation and its cooperation with Kenya on the climate agenda.
They will also have an opportunity to talk with people from the local community, who are deeply committed to protecting the forest.
Kenya currently leads the way in Africa in climate adaptation and mitigation.
It hosted the first Africa Climate Summit in 2023.
