NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenya’s iconic State House has unveiled a modern facelift, shedding its colonial-era aesthetics for a flat-roof design that has sparked heated public debate.
The revamped look, revealed in photos on January 25 during the state visit of Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, marks the culmination of over two years of renovations.
The formerly tiled roof of the “House on the Hill” has been replaced with a striking white flat roof, accompanied by a fresh coat of paint that accentuates its sleek, contemporary design.
The President’s communication team shared images of the revamped residence, but the redesign has drawn mixed reactions from Kenyans online.
While some lauded the transformation as a necessary modernization, others criticized it as an erasure of the nation’s historical architectural heritage.
“Refurbishments that alter the historic or architectural integrity of a monumental site like State House should be protected by the Monuments Act,” one critic lamented on X.
Refurbishments that alter the historic or architectural integrity of a monumental site like State House should be protected by the Monuments Act. State House is not private property to be remodelled to suit the fleeting tastes of each tenant. Europe attracts millions by…
Another one noted; “I don’t understand what is wrong with this man. So he has constructed a new building? Wasn’t the old State House a historic artefact?”
I don’t understand what is wrong with this man. So he has constructed a new building? Wasn’t the old State House a historic artefact?
However, not everyone was opposed. A supporter of the upgrade described the colonial-era State House as “drab” and “boring.” “This new look is welcome. We’re in 2025, and we have to align with the tastes and trends of the new world,” they said.
The refurbishment is part of a larger project to revitalize State Houses and Lodges across the country, with Ksh.11.5 billion allocated in the 2024/2025 budget.
Of this, Ksh.1.7 billion is earmarked for upgrades at State House Nairobi over three years, including Ksh.250 million in the current financial year.
