Ruto Responds To Ole Sapit On Being Bishop Of State House Church
Earlier, Archbishop Ole Sapit had challenged the plan, expressing worries about who would lead the new church and how other denominations were being left out.
Viral Tea Ke Writer 
President William Ruto on Sunday, July 6, addressed criticism from Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit of the Anglican Church of Kenya regarding the plan to build a church inside State House, Nairobi.
Earlier, Archbishop Ole Sapit had challenged the plan, expressing worries about who would lead the new church and how other denominations were being left out.
Speaking during a church service at the 35th Diocesan Anniversary held at St. Mark’s College, Kigari in Embu County, Ruto however responded by stating that there was already a chaplain at State House who had been conducting services before he took office and has continued doing so since.
Members of the clergy at the 35th Diocesan Anniversary at St. Mark’s College, Kigari, Embu County on July 6, 2025. /PCS
“We already have a chaplain. I heard one bishop asking, who will be the head of the church? We have a chaplain there who I found already serving, and he is the one leading services even now. I didn’t appoint him; I found him there,” Ruto said.
He made these comments after State House Digital Strategist Dennis Itumbi released a detailed statement responding to Ole Sapit’s concerns, highlighting the historic relationship between the State House and the Church.
Itumbi also pointed out that, based on tradition and location, the archbishop was essentially already considered the bishop of the proposed State House church and the National Chaplain.
“Your Grace, my Archbishop, Most Reverend Ole Sapit, you do not need to ask who should be the State House Bishop. By tradition, geography, and divine proximity, you already are,” he noted.
During the same address, Ruto affirmed that the church project would move forward as intended, despite objections from some members of the public and religious leaders.
"We have said that the construction would go on as planned and that there would not be a single government penny that would be spent on the same," Ruto stated.
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.
t
