President William Ruto has doubled down on his contentious plan to construct a church within the State House grounds, brushing off concerns about the project’s cost as mere propaganda aimed at misleading and inciting the public.
While acknowledging that State House is public property, Ruto insisted that establishing a proper place of worship inside it aligns with the Constitution and fulfills a spiritual need.
“I have been to many churches, and no one has ever asked me to help build a mabati church. Everyone tells me they want a stone church,” Ruto told leaders of the Federation of Evangelical and Indigenous Christian Churches of Kenya (FEICCK) during a meeting at State House, Nairobi.
“So, how do I go around helping build stone churches across the country and leave the State House with a mabati church? Even you can’t pretend that makes sense.”
Presient Ruto argued that State House isn’t just his official residence, it also serves as a workplace for hundreds of public servants and security personnel, many of whom live with their families within the compound.
“We have nearly 300 families here, security officers, staff and even a Sunday school. This is not my private residence alone. It is a community, and it deserves a proper place of worship,” he added.
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Ruto called for understanding from critics, noting that the Constitution recognizes the central role of God in the life of the nation. In that spirit, he said, building a worthy place of worship within government premises should not be viewed as inappropriate.
“Yes, State House belongs to the public, and I respect that. But our constitution affirms that we are a nation under God. There is no greater honour I can offer as President than building a proper house for the Lord here,” he stated.
The Head of State at the same time dismissed claims that the project would cost billions of shillings, describing such reports as deceptive and deliberately misleading.
“Hiyo mnasikia mabillioni sijui billioni ngapi ni lugha ya shetani ya kujaribu kuchochea na kuharibu,” he stated.
Translated loosely: (That reports you’re hearing about billions is the language of the devil, meant to incite and destroy)
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