President William Ruto has joined congregants at the Africa Inland Church (AIC) in Kibera for a Sunday service, days after touring the area to inspect an ongoing government housing project.
During the visit on Sunday, May 25, 2025, the Head of State, was warmly received by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja alongside other key political allies who accompanied him to the service in one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements.
This church visit follows Ruto’s meeting with clergy from the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya and the Association of Evangelicals of Africa at State House on May 23, 2025, where he emphasised the critical role of faith leaders in advancing peace and development on the continent.
“Met the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya and Association of Evangelicals of Africa, State House, Nairobi, affirming the Church’s pivotal role in resolving conflicts across the region. Pledged to work closely with religious leaders to anchor peace, unlock development, and drive lasting transformation across the continent,” Ruto wrote on his X account on May 23, 2025.
AIC Kibera has hosted numerous prominent political figures, including ODM leader Raila Odinga, who attended a service there on August 28, 2022, after the general election, and Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka, who visited on September 20, 2020.
Transforming Kibera
Today’s visit comes just three days after Ruto, while touring the Kibra Soweto East Zone B Affordable Housing Project, reiterated his vision to convert Kibera into a modern estate, citing progress already made under the first phase of the project.
“When I came to launch the housing programme in this Soweto B area, I told you that this was only the first phase, and I promised, by the grace of God, that this very Kibera, this very Soweto, would be turned into a proper estate, and that the face of Kibera would change into something dignified, and as you can now see, that transformation has already begun,” he stated.
He added that beyond Soweto B, another 15,000 housing units are under construction in Southlands, another part of Kibera, which he noted is three times the size of the Soweto phase.
Ruto also mentioned that he returned to Kibra to follow up on his pledge to the residents of Soweto zones C and D, where a similar housing initiative is planned.
He revealed that over 11,000 residents have already been registered in a verification process and will be issued ID cards to facilitate housing allocation.
“These cards will confirm their residency and serve as official tickets to the new houses once completed,” he explained.
