President William Ruto has defended his decision to build a church at State House Nairobi, saying he could not justify living in a renovated residence while God’s house remained neglected.
Speaking on Sunday, July 7, 2025, during the 35th Embu Diocesan Anniversary, Ruto said:
“Nimekuja pale nikakuta State House ni nyumba imelijengwa miaka 120 iliyopita. Ile mbao imeoza. Paa inatoka maji… Sasa kama mimi narekebisha State House niishi vizuri alafu kanisa ya Mungu ibaki ya mabati, hiyo swali nikipatana na Mungu nitajibu namna gani?”
Which is loosely translated to: “I found State House , a 120-year-old building, with rotting timber and a leaking roof. If I fix it for myself but leave God’s church with a tin roof, how will I answer Him?”
Ruto defends state chapel
Quoting Haggai 1:4, Ruto said he felt spiritually obligated to construct a proper church within the State House grounds. He clarified that the chapel was not his personal initiative but one he found already in place when he took office, a modest iron-sheet structure serving the spiritual needs of families living within the compound.
“That church was already there. I am not the one who started it. The only thing I have said is that instead of the State House chapel being made of iron sheets, let us build one made of stone, just like the ones you all have.”
The president also dismissed claims circulating online that the chapel project would cost over Ksh1.2 billion, terming the reports as “propaganda” driven by bitterness.
“Can a church that seats only 300 people possibly cost one billion? Let us stop spreading cheap talk and hatred. Why are some people so bitter about a church built for the worship of God?”
Ruto compared the chapel to a multi-floor church under construction in Embu, which is projected to cost Ksh350 million. He noted that his only decision was to upgrade the structure from a makeshift iron-sheet building to a proper stone church, just like those many congregations have across the country.
Kenneth Mwenda
Kenneth Mwenda is a digital writer with over five years of experience. He graduated in February 2022 with a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance from The Co-operative University of Kenya. He has written news and feature stories for platforms such as Construction Review Online, Sports Brief, Briefly News, and Criptonizando. In 2023, he completed a course in Digital Investigation Techniques with AFP. He joined K24 Digital in May 2025. For inquiries, he can be reached at [email protected].
