The national government is building a state lodge in Homa Bay County, adding to a list of such facilities across the country. This comes even as some residents and the Catholic Church have raised questions about compensation and the eviction notices issued.
The lodge is in preparation for the June 1 Madaraka Day celebrations which will be held in the county, according to officials who spoke to Nation Africa in confidence.
On Friday April 18, the Interior ministry gazetted Bungoma and Kwale as the latest State Lodges, signalling the increased footprint of such facilities amid concerns over the cost of building and maintaining them.
Besides the national celebrations, the Head of State is expected to make another trip to Homa Bay to launch a number of projects, including the town’s fish market, affordable housing project, Kabunde Airstrip and the pier, among others.
In the preliminary plans, the President is expected to spend the night in Homa Bay Town. To facilitate this, the government commissioned the construction of the county state lodge.
Apart from the State Houses in Nairobi, Nakuru, Mombasa and Kisumu, there are other gazetted government-owned accommodation, primarily used by the President and other high-ranking officials during official visits and tours across the country. Known as State Lodges,
They include Eldoret, Kisii, Kakamega, Kitale, Bungoma, Kwale, Rumuruti and Cherangani.
The one under construction in Homa Bay will add to the list of places where the President can spend time outside Nairobi. It is located adjacent to La Salle School in Homa Bay Town. Work began two months ago and is progressing quickly.
Construction of the building is almost complete with workers currently installing red roofs on buildings within the compound. Workers at the site behind a perimeter wall have been engaged in morning and evening shifts to meet the fast-approaching deadline.
The National Celebrations Steering Committee, led by Interior Principal Administrative Secretary Anne Ng’etich, has on at least two occasions inspected the project, while also checking progress of the expansion of Raila Odinga Stadium where Madaraka Day celebrations will be held.
Last week at a public event, County Commissioner Moses Lilan confirmed the building of the state lodge, and asked leaders to back it as it was confirmation of a secure county.
"The government, under the leadership of the president (William Ruto) and the guidance of our Principal Secretary (Dr Raymond Omollo), is working towards leveraging this county and making sure that it develops, making sure that this county is in the league of developed counties. We will change the mind-set of our people," he said on April 11 at a funeral.
Mr Lilan added "Which is fair? Someone to go and get a machete and hack the next person or go to Homa Bay where we are building the stadium, the state lodge, the airstrip and earn a Sh1,000 every day."
However, the construction of the building has not come without controversy. Before work began, some families had occupied part of the land where the building is now being constructed. They were told to vacate and their houses demolished with the promise of compensation.
One family said they received a call from a senior government official asking them to vacate the area within six hours.
"We were called at 6pm on a Thursday and told to leave by midnight. We complied because the person who called is a senior government official," said a member of one affected family, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation. "We came back the following day to collect the rest, as we couldn’t take everything at once,"
"We acquired the land in the 1970s and have an allotment letter to prove it. We also have a 99-year lease agreement," the family member said.
"It is unfortunate that we were told there would be no compensation. We were accused of acquiring the land illegally and that it belongs to the national government," he said.
A piece of land next to Homa Bay State Lodge which the Catholic Church in Homa Bay claims ownership.
Photo credit: George Odiwuor | Nation Media Group
The Catholic Church has also clashed with the government over the same land. The leadership of St Paul's Catholic Church, which owns an adjacent piece of land, condemned the manner in which families were evicted.
Parish Father Romanus Ageng’a told Nation Africa that the land is used by learners from St Paul's Academy as their playground.
"So far, they have not encroached on our land. The machines are operating at a different location, though near it," he said.
According to the cleric, a senior government official told a church leader that the State may consider leaving the land for the school.
Fr Ageng’a, however, said they have not been formally engaged on the matter.
"Nobody has come to hear our grievances, and we do not know the government’s official position," he said.
"If they wanted to take the land, they should have called us for a conversation. So far, they have not taken it from us," he said.
Mr Lilan, the county commissioner, said no one has reached out to his office to complain.
"Everything being done there is on government land. No one has come to us with objections, and all the complaints I’ve heard are through the media," Mr Lilan said.
"The church and the State should never fight. The government should not interfere with the land because children use it as their playground," he said.
During a visit to Homa Bay in December 2024, President William Ruto reminded residents that he had previously spent a night in the town while campaigning during the 2021 election period.
As Deputy President at the time, he held rallies across several constituencies before spending the night at Cold Springs Hotel. He has since referred to the experience multiple times, framing it as a gesture of appreciation and connection with the region, even though residents did not vote for him.
