I Have No Apologies To Make: Ruto Confirms Ksh1.2B Church Being Built At State House
He also denied establishing a new church, clarifying that there was already a temporary one in place when he arrived.
Viral Tea Ke Writer 
President William Ruto has stood by his plan to build a Ksh1.2 billion church within State House, Nairobi.
Speaking on Friday, July 4, at State House, Ruto defended the project and declared he had “no apologies” for going ahead with the construction, valued at around Ksh1.2 billion.
"I am a person who believes in God, and I have no apologies to make. To build a church? I have no apology," he stood firm.
"There's no one whom I'll ask for permission. We will build a church of God. Satan can get annoyed and do whatever he wants."
President William Ruto and DP Kithure Kindiki at State House, July 4, 2025 and the proposed church at State House (inset). /PCS.DAILY NATION
He defended the project, stating that he is putting up a permanent chapel at the State House entirely with his funds, at no expense to the government.
He also denied establishing a new church, clarifying that there was already a temporary one in place when he arrived.
"It is true. I’m building a church at State House. Here, I came and found a church made of iron sheets," he went on.
"In your view, does such a church match the standards of State House? I’m not building it with government funds, I am using my own money."
Ruto pointed to his strong Christian faith as the main driving force behind building the church, brushing off criticism about the project, especially given the country’s current economic challenges.
A report by the Daily Nation was the first to reveal plans for the church construction, with follow-up stories indicating the facility would have an 8,000-person capacity, with the newspaper describing the church’s design as featuring crosses and tall stained-glass windows.
Additional reports noted the church would serve various roles, including hosting national prayer services, diplomatic events, and interfaith gatherings.
The announcement triggered widespread backlash, with many Kenyans accusing President Ruto of misplaced priorities and being out of touch with citizens’ more urgent needs, and has since drawn the attention of the Atheists In Kenya Society (AIKS) which threatened legal action against the Head of State.
This church project is unfolding while State House itself is undergoing renovations funded by taxpayers, amounting to billions of shillings. According to the Controller of Budget (CoB), Ksh 775 million had already been spent on renovating the residence by September 2024, from a total budget of Ksh 1.7 billion.
In the 2025/2026 budget, State House received an allocation exceeding Ksh800 million for continued upgrades to both the Nairobi compound and other State lodges countrywide, with Ksh680 million specifically earmarked for State House Nairobi.
Budget projections for the 2025/2026 fiscal year revealed that out of Ksh2.3 billion reserved for the Executive Office of the President, a large chunk would still be directed toward refurbishing and maintaining State House Nairobi and various lodges — a trend that has persisted since President William Ruto assumed office in 2022.
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