Billions splashed in State House upgrades despite budget cuts
The Nairobi State House alone has seen a facelift costing Sh1.7 billion, with Sh775 million spent by September 2024, marking 44 per cent completion of the project.
The government has spent billions on renovations of State House and state lodges over the past two years, despite ongoing budget cuts.
The Nairobi State House alone has seen a facelift costing Sh1.7 billion, with Sh775 million spent by September 2024, marking 44 per cent completion of the project.
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According to the Controller of Budget, Sh3.3 billion of a planned Sh10.7 billion refurbishment programme, expected to run until June 2027, had been spent by September 2024.
The major renovation of the Nairobi State House began in January 2024 when the main building was closed for work.
President William Ruto shifted his operations to a newly built pavilion, continuing to host Cabinet meetings and receive heads of state and dignitaries across various state lodges in the country.
Last week, images of the revamped State House surfaced after the President hosted Guinea-Bissau’s President. The new design sees the previously prominent terracotta tiled roof replaced, and experts have suggested the roof could have been enhanced to include a prominent parapet.
It remains unclear whether the iconic chimneys have been preserved.
The entrance porches have also been altered. Previously, the building had two drive-through porches, one for the President and his guests, and the other as a secondary entrance.
These have now been replaced with a single central porch with a canopy. The roof has been extended, and new columns have been installed along the driveway, possibly to support the enhanced roof or for aesthetic purposes.
This marks the second major renovation of State House Nairobi in just over two years. In late 2022, shortly after President Ruto took office, the compound received a fresh coat of paint, new cabro paving for the front courtyard, and a state-of-the-art pavilion to replace the decade-old wooden one.
The broader refurbishment plan, costing Sh10.7 billion, covers State House and state lodges across the country over 12 years, ending in June 2027.
By September 2024, Sh3.3 billion had been allocated to the project, with Sh775 million spent on the Nairobi State House alone. Despite a freeze on funds between June and December 2024 due to budget cuts following the withdrawal of the Finance Bill 2024, work on the project has continued.
In the 2022/2023 financial year, State House spent Sh59.8 million on the initial works under President Ruto. By the end of June 2024, the total expenditure for the renovation had reached Sh220.3 million, including Sh160.4 million spent in the 2023/2024 financial year.
Members of United Democratic Alliance (UDA), led by President William Ruto, and Musalia Mudavadi's Amani National Congress (ANC) during the merger at State House, Nairobi on January 17, 2025. (PCS)
Florence Nyole, President of the Architectural Association of Kenya, expressed concern over the renovations, stating, “The renovation has ended up being a redesign and takes away from the recognition of State House as Kenyans know it.”
Public scrutiny
She added that public buildings requiring renovation should be listed with the National Museums and subjected to public scrutiny before undergoing such significant changes.
The refurbishment programme also covers several state lodges, with significant sums spent on Mombasa State Lodge (Sh311 million), Nakuru State Lodge (Sh116 million), Eldoret State Lodge (Sh36.7 million), and Kisumu (Sh10.3 million), among others.
In total, Sh2.9 billion has been spent on the state houses over the past two years, though the required financing is much higher, exceeding Sh7 billion due to budget cuts imposed in July 2024.
Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale defended the renovations, asserting that the upgrades were necessary and justified.
“State House is the country’s face before visiting dignitaries, and the upgrade is long overdue,” Duale said, dismissing concerns over the expenditure.
He also refuted reports citing the Sh10.7 billion refurbishment plan, claiming that the actual figure presented to the Cabinet was much lower.
“What came to the Cabinet I am sure is not more than Sh2 billion,” he said.
Duale highlighted the importance of a modern State House for future generations, emphasising that it is not the President’s personal property.
“The new State House does not belong to William Ruto; it is for posterity and future presidents,” he added.
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