NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya is hosting the Dutch king and queen as allegations of human rights abuses are mounting in the East African country, with Kenyans writing hundreds of emails and petitioning the royals to cancel their visit.

Kenya's government has been accused of arresting and detaining critics, especially after the June anti-government protests, during which demonstrators stormed parliament and torched a section of the building because they were angry over new taxes passed by legislators.

Along with cracking down on demonstrators and curbing free speech, the country also saw state-linked abductions of young men for social media posts deemed offensive to the president. In December, during protests against widespread kidnappings and abductions, dozens of peaceful protesters were arrested.

More than 20,000 Kenyans signed the petition on Change.org asking Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima to reconsider their visit. Last month, the government in the Netherlands said that it had received more than 300 emails asking for the cancellation, but that the state visit would proceed as scheduled.

The Dutch royals arrived on Monday night for a three-day visit. Willem-Alexander was honored with a 21-gun salute and inspected an honor guard, the office of President William Ruto said on Tuesday morning.

There was little excitement from Kenyans on the streets during the first day of the royal visit. Macharia Munene, a professor of international relations at the United States International University-Africa, attributed it to the “low morale that people in the country find themselves in.”

“There generally is low trust for the government and what it claims to stand for in part because such critical public institutions as health and education are not working," Munene said. "The diplomatic clout that Kenya used to have has evaporated.”

Amnesty International on Saturday asked Kenya and the Netherlands to "place human rights at the heart of the visit, address human rights violations and commit to accountability for all victims following the recent brutal crackdown on human rights" in the East African country.

Kenya was among several African countries elected to the U.N Human Rights Council in October, and rights groups have been urging the government to prioritize civil liberties.

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands reviews the honor guard after arriving to meet with Kenya's President William Ruto at State House in Nairobi, Kenya, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

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King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands reviews the honor guard after arriving to meet with Kenya's President William Ruto at State House in Nairobi, Kenya, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

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King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands reviews the honor guard after arriving to meet with Kenya's President William Ruto at State House in Nairobi, Kenya, Tuesday, March. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

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King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands reviews an honor guard after arriving to meet with Kenya's President William Ruto at State House in Nairobi, Kenya, Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

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King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, center-left, and Kenya's President William Ruto, center, observe the honor guard at State House in Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

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Queen Maxima of The Netherlands during the state visit of the Dutch Royals at State House in Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, March. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

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Queen Maxima of The Netherlands, left, and Kenya's first lady Rachel Ruto, right, during the state visit of the Dutch Royals at State House in Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, March. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

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Netherlands King Willem-Alexander, left and Queen Maxima, second left, during a joint press conference with Kenya's President William Ruto, right, after meeting at State House in Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, March. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

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King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands speaks during a joint press conference with Kenya's President William Ruto, after a meeting at State House in Nairobi, Kenya, Tuesday, March. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

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Queen Máxima of the Netherlands during the state visit of the Dutch Royals at State House in Nairobi, Kenya Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

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Queen Máxima of the Netherlands stands during the state visit of the Dutch Royals at State House in Nairobi, Kenya, Tuesday, March. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

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