President William Ruto is quietly overseeing the construction of a massive church within the grounds of State House, Nairobi, in a move that raises questions on the constitutional separation between church and the State.
Architectural designs of the massive church, whose construction is ongoing within the grounds of the State House, Nairobi.
Photo credit: Pool
The Daily Nation has seen detailed architectural designs and drawings of the imposing structure that is expected to have a sitting capacity of 8,000 and cost an estimated Sh1.2 billion. It is not clear whether this amount will be paid for by Kenyan taxpayers.
The cathedral-like building, designed by Skair Architects Limited, has twin crosses on its rooftop and tall, narrow clerestory-style windows flanking the central edifice.
The Western view in daytime of the massive church whose construction is ongoing within the grounds of State House, Nairobi.
Photo credit: Nation Media Group
State House declined to respond to multiple queries regarding the underway project that is already coming up near the presidential helipads, as seen from the latest satellite imagery.
The Daily Nation had sought to establish the rationale, constitutionality, as well as the total cost to Kenyan taxpayers of the religious building.
President Ruto has previously publicly stated his intention to build a church to underscore his Christian faith. In his time as Deputy President, he erected a chapel at the official, taxpayer-funded Karen residence. He would use it to host religious leaders as he campaigned for the top seat in the run up to the 2022 General Election. The construction of the chapel however drew criticism from a section of leaders who accused him of breaching the constitution.
At the time, he dismissed critics and vowed to construct an even larger one if elected.
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“We built one at the Hustlers’ Mansion, but we had challenges. I believe we will not build like the one we built at the mansion; we will build a bigger one so that this country can continue recognising the presence of God,” he declared during a church service in Juja on July 17, 2022.
Although the President has not officially acknowledged the ongoing construction, he hinted at it earlier this year during a church service in Nairobi.
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“There is a special field that I am working on, specifically meant for people who pray, those who preach,” he said on January 11 during a service at the United Pentecostal Church of Kenya in Dagoretti North. “I want you (the clergy) to come and bless that field once it is ready. I will invite you so that we can talk.”
The Daily Nation reached out to the architects on record for comments regarding the status of the project. At first, the architect denied that he was undertaking any construction at State House. We then shared images and designs of the building, showing that the company is in charge and sought a response.
Architectural designs of the massive church, whose construction is ongoing within the grounds of the State House, Nairobi.
Photo credit: Nation Media Group
The architect questioned why we believed the structure is at State House. He later hurled insults, stating that the Daily Nation should stop “bothering” them regarding the project. Subsequent phone calls, texts and emails reminders were not replied.
The design of the church adopts a monumental neoclassical-modern hybrid design with massive double pillars at the main entrance and large arched windows. The tall central tower has been capped by a prominent cross, asserting the building’s religious significance and visibility from afar.
The crosses are on both sides; the front and the back, but the front one is more prominent.
Inside the church, there is four rows of the main sanctuary seating with a capacity of up to 8,000 worshippers. There are also multiple entry points, storage rooms, toilets, and circulation corridors included for crowd control. There are two prayer rooms on each side of the main auditorium and multiple auxiliary rooms including offices and washrooms.
The vertical structure design has two main levels, including the main sanctuary floor and two upper sitting galleries. The gallery is made in a circular auditorium layout in the form of an amphitheater format to ensure visibility of the pulpit.
An architectural drawing of the massive church whose construction is ongoing within the grounds of State House, Nairobi.
Photo credit: Nation Media Group
There are also four individual prayer rooms inside the church and one big family room. An exterior view of the church during the night features LED lights at the entrance and a big, see through glass door entrance.
In a country whose Constitution expressly calls for the separation of church and state, the symbolism of erecting a church at the very heart of executive power is puzzling. It raises questions about how far President Ruto is willing to merge faith and governance.
Analysts say the construction represents a physical expression of President Ruto’s political theology; overt, calculated, and deeply polarising.
As per Article 8 of the Constitution, the State is prohibited from adopting or endorsing any religion. Public institutions, including the presidency, are not in any way to be seen to favour or institutionalise a certain religious system.
Constitutional lawyer Kibe Mungai believes the construction of a religious structure violates Article 8 of the Constitution, which provides for secularity, with the office of the president having the highest responsibility of upholding it, both symbolically and in practice.
The incumbent, he argues, is supposed to uphold Constitution as one of his/her mandates but also in observance of Article 138 (1) (e) which states that the president is a symbol of national unity. The construction, he argues, gives the impression that Christianity is the preferred religion yet there are other religions domiciled in the country.
Mr Mungai adds that State House is not just public land, it’s protected public land reserved strictly for the functions of the presidency.
“A church is, by definition, a public place, one that should be accessible to all. State House is a restricted zone. You cannot privatise access to God. It is offensive even to Christians to turn a place of worship into a symbol of political power. Who is going to be preaching there since State House has not employed preachers? In a culture where we talk about bribing the church, that is what he is exactly doing,” he adds.
Architectural designs of the massive church whose construction is ongoing within the grounds of State House, Nairobi.
Photo credit: Pool
Mr Bob Mwangi, another legal expert, raises questions about public participation or the lack thereof in the whole process of constructing the sanctuary.
“The President is essentially a tenant at State House. Like any tenancy, permanent and structural changes require the blessing of the landlord. In this case, the landlord is the Kenyan public. Were they consulted? Clearly not.”
He also argues that State religion not only applies to the element of the DNA of the State, like the Islamic Republic of Iran, but also the secularity of the state.
It remains unclear under which Budget vote the church is being funded. Documents tabled in Parliament show a multi-million-shilling budget allocation to the presidency for ongoing refurbishments, especially for State House and State lodges across the country.
