NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 4 — State House on Friday released images of a makeshift chapel within its grounds, as President William Ruto defended plans to construct a permanent place of worship, insisting no taxpayer funds would be used for the project.
The photos show a mabati (iron sheet) structure adjacent to staff quarters at State House compound, which Ruto said he found in place upon assuming office.
Speaking during a meeting with grassroots leaders from Embu, the President dismissed reports suggesting he was establishing a new church, asserting instead that he was simply upgrading an existing one.
“I found a tin chapel here, that is not the standard of a State House,” Ruto said.
“It is true I am building a church here in State House. I believe in God, and I have no apologies to make for building a church — we will build the church of God.”
His remarks come amid rising public debate after the Daily Nation quoted the cost of the chapel at Sh1.2 billion saying it would accommodate up to 8,000 worshippers.
While the President insisted the funds would come from private sources, critics questioned the optics of such an ambitious religious project and its place in a secular state.
Kenyans online and in political circles expressed concern over government priorities, pointing to persistent problems in the public health sector and the ongoing university funding crisis that has left many bright but needy students without support.
National Prayer Altar
This is not the first time President Ruto has faced scrutiny for his spending on church activities.
In 2019, while serving as Deputy President, he and First Lady Rachel Ruto built a private chapel at their official Karen residence, dubbed the National Prayer Altar.
The space later became a strategic meeting point for his allies during his fallout with former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
At the time, Rachel Ruto shared a biblical verse — 2 Samuel 24:25 — on social media, underscoring the family’s faith-driven motivation.
“David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Thus, the Lord was moved by prayer for the land, and the plague was held back from Israel,” she quoted.
President Ruto has consistently defended his generous contributions to the church and religious causes, maintaining that his faith is genuine and should not be politicized.
“Don’t be jealous because I give to God,” he told critics in a previous address.
“I know the power of prayer, and I know where God has brought me from.”
