Controversy has erupted around State House, President William Ruto’s official residence, following the billions of shillings spent on its renovation at a time when the government is advocating for austerity measures.

Questions have also been raised regarding the legality and the wisdom of altering the exterior of a historic site that has been at the heart of Kenya’s history and governance for the past 118 years.

This is the residence that 17 colonial governors once ruled from during Kenya’s colonial era. It is the same building from which all five of Kenya’s presidents have governed the country for the past 60 years.