In Nairobi’s leafy Karen suburb, the official residence of Kenya’s Deputy President has quietly become a revolving door of costly cosmetic makeovers, with taxpayers footing the bill.
Year after year, perfectly good flooring is ripped out and replaced, not out of necessity, but to suit the personal tastes of each new occupant.
The building opened in November 2012 by former President Mwai Kibaki, has now become the country's most expensive taste-testing ground at the taxpayers’ expense.
At the time, Mr Gachagua had demanded a makeover of the sprawling structure costing the taxpayer Sh400 million before moving into the house.
Shortly after moving in, Mr Gachagua's office in May 2024 submitted budgetary documents to the National Assembly’s Committee on Administration and Internal Security requesting an extra Sh660 million to renovate the Karen residence.
In the request, the office of the deputy president said the official residence in Karen was in a “bad condition”.
Some of the renovations carried out included a makeover of the entrance of the building, which was changed from black tiles to black granite. The floors, including the carpet, were also changed from red to blue, as well as a number of chairs inside the residence.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's official residence in Karen.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
“There was a need to dignify the residences of the Deputy President because people meet here, such as ambassadors and other respected dignitaries. We found broken taps, while most things were not working,” Mr Gachagua defended his office in October 2024.
But barely a few months later, Mr Gachagua’s successor, Prof Kithure Kindiki , also seems to have taken the notch higher by getting rid of some of the renovations.
A notable change at the residence is the change of the black granite floor tiles that were installed by the former office occupant to white granite tiles.
Year after year, perfectly good flooring is ripped out and replaced at the Deputy President's residence in Karen — not because it is necessary.
Photo credit: File, DPCS | Nation
The renovation was carried out immediately after Prof Kindiki took office. Granite costs an average of Sh8,000- Sh15,000 per square meter, while other options such as ceramic tiles cost an average of Sh800-Sh4,500 per square meter.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki’s office declined to comment on the significance of the current renovations.
The recent renovations have also raised concern regarding the austerity measures announced by President William Ruto in July last year who had said that the budget for renovations, especially for government houses, had been cut by 50 percent.
This was in the wake of the anti-government protests that rocked the country, caused by the display of opulence by a section of leaders. The government is also facing reduced revenue collection and reduced external funding.
President Ruto in the current budget for the financial year 2025/2026, has also increased his budget for renovations at State House and other state lodges by up to 300 times from Sh50 million to Sh2.6 billion.
While State House justifies the allocations as part of ongoing ‘maintenance’, Kenyans on X platform questioned the misplaced priorities and ongoing renovations that are meaningless. Mr Paul Onana said the government would have spent the funds spent on renovations in other sectors.
“Siphoning taxes has to be justified. Check the budget that the presidency is requesting for the upcoming financial year. They will change the granite floor every other week,” he posted on X platform.
Another user, Nicholas Kariuki, argued that the expenditure by government officials was unacceptable.
“Imagine the way these people take this nation’s assets as their own, and the budget you hear, set aside, will shock you. This government is all in wastage, from choppers to cars, with the president accumulating more than trillions of shillings in just three years. God save us,” he posted.
The recent uproar comes after a major makeover of the State House, Nairobi, that included the conversion of its traditional colonial roof into a flat structure. The renovations drew public criticism and concern from Kenyans and a section of professionals.
