Why Ruto's State House church plan is fuelling new political fault lines
Rift Valley
By
Ben Ahenda
| Jul 08, 2025
President William Ruto's admission that he will build a church at State House, Nairobi, has continued to draw mixed reactions from the public.
A section of leaders in Nakuru County has opposed the move, saying it would amount to segregating and discriminating against other religions.
Members of the Democratic Citizen Party (DCP) in Nakuru, who met yesterday at their Milimani office, wondered what would happen to the church if Kenyans elected a president who is not a Christian.
While doubting whether the Head of State would use his own funds for the plan, the DCP branch leaders scoffed at it, saying it was a project aimed at siphoning public funds using cowboy contractors.
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Former Nakuru County Senate aspirant, lawyer Lawrence Karanja, said the millions of shillings set aside for erecting the church at State House were beyond the president's salary, and that the land on which the church is supposed to be built is a protected area.
“We know how much the Head of State earns per month and the amount to be used for the church’s completion. It’s beyond the Presidential Salary Scale and is a way to siphon public funds using cowboy contractors,” Karanja told reporters at a press conference at their county offices yesterday.
DCP Rift Valley regional coordinator Dr William Wachira reminded Ruto that no one intimidated or harassed him during his presidential and Inua Mama campaigns when he was Deputy President.
He questioned why the state should harass DCP leaders when they are exercising their democratic rights.
“Why are you doing it to our DCP leaders? You were never harassed in your campaigns in 2022. Are you scared?” he questioned.
With sporadic chants of ‘One Term’ whenever any leader rose to speak, they described their party leader Rigathi Gachagua as a national leader, citing the rousing reception the opposition received in Narok and Western Kenya political tours in the last three days.
They urged the president to listen to the voice of the people to stem the sporadic demonstrations facing the country.
“Kenyans are opposed to your style of non-consultative leadership and failure to listen to them. That’s why Gen Zs rose in big numbers against you last year and they’ll do so in future if you (President) fail to change,” they warned.
The party’s activist, Janet Moraa, said they are tired of burying their children every weekend who are killed by state operatives.
“We are tired of burying our kids every time due to political interests, when a leadership is not ready to listen to the ‘Will of the People’,” she cried out.
The party’s County Secretary-General, Simon Ole Sankale, said the time to deceive church leaders through the construction of churches was long gone.
“That was done in 2022 and the same trick cannot be repeated now when we know the true colours of the national leadership,” said Sankale.
Meanwhile, the Institute of Human Rights (IHR) has called on Ruto to come clean on the church project, saying the president is the symbol of unity and should not discriminate against other religions.
"What’s the name of this church and its members? Who is the bishop of this church? The previous Heads of State have been going to churches within Nairobi since independence and not in State House. This is purely discrimination against other religions like the Indians, Catholics and others based on their doctrines," said David Koros, the IHR president.