NAIROBI, Kenya — President William Ruto has finally explained why his Cabinet meetings over the past three years have been held in the open-air space beside his official podium rather than inside the traditional State House boardrooms.
Speaking on Wednesday during the annual Taxpayers’ Dinner, Ruto disclosed that the decision was driven by significant budget cuts to State House operations, forcing his office to find cost-effective alternatives.
Ruto told guests that Treasury reductions—including those approved by Parliament—had limited the resources available for State House activities, prompting the shift from indoor boardrooms to the covered outdoor space now commonly seen during Cabinet meetings.
“This is my office; you are going to have dinner in my office,” Ruto said, pointing to the now-modernised open structure. “During the day, my boardroom is around this place. The resources for my office were reduced by CS Mbadi and his team, so we had to innovate.”
He added that the previous tents used during the Jubilee administration were “two to three times more expensive” to install and maintain compared to the permanent structure now in use.
Ruto thanked Parliament for approving funds to modernise the facility, insisting that the cost of building the new structure was recovered within a year due to savings made from avoiding tent rentals.
The President’s remarks shed light on broader upgrades taking place at the State House since he assumed office. Earlier this year, his proposal to build a Sh1.2 billion, 8,000-capacity chapel within the State House grounds faced public backlash and was later halted by the High Court following a petition.
In January, the government also announced plans to construct 130 houses for GSU officers within the compound.
However, the renovations have drawn criticism from heritage and architectural bodies. The Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK) warned that ongoing changes risk eroding the historical integrity of the 1907 building designed by British architect Sir Herbert Baker.
AAK argued that State House—originally Government House and later converted into the President’s official residence after independence—should be preserved as a national heritage site even as modernisation continues.
Despite the resistance, Ruto maintains that the structural adjustments are necessary as part of a wider efficiency and cost-cutting agenda brought on by reduced allocations and the need to utilise public funds prudently.
