NAIROBI, Kenya – President William Ruto’s administration is under renewed scrutiny after allocating Sh2.3 billion for renovations and upgrades to State House and related facilities, even as the country grapples with deepening fiscal constraints and rising public discontent over government spending.
According to the 2025/26 budget estimates released by the National Treasury, the bulk of the funding will go toward rehabilitation and refurbishment works at State House Nairobi and various State lodges.
The Executive Office of the President and State House are among the few institutions to receive increased allocations amid broader calls for austerity and leaner government.
A total of Sh894.9 million is earmarked for rehabilitation works, while the development budget for the President’s office will leap nearly 300-fold, from Sh50 million to Sh1.46 billion, to support operations at Harambee House, refurbish the Government Press, and fund the National Fund for the Disabled.
“In the fiscal year 2025/26 and throughout the medium term, State House will support His Excellency in executing the constitutional mandate,” read part of the Treasury’s justification.
The funds will also cover strategic communication, policy advisory support, and maintenance of infrastructure, including benefits for retired top officials.
The renovation budget comes just months after a controversial facelift to State House Nairobi, which involved a redesign of its historic roof—a move that was met with backlash from architectural bodies and the public for altering the building’s colonial-era design.
The Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK) expressed concern that the modifications erased important heritage elements, while MPs and civil society groups criticized the prioritization of aesthetics over pressing national needs.
“We are spending too much beautifying State House. If Kenyans are suffering because of budget cuts, State House should take the lead in tightening the belt,” said Kisumu West MP Rozaah Buyu.
Notably, the Sh894.9 million allocation includes:
- Sh680.7 million for maintenance at State House Nairobi
- Sh60.1 million for Eldoret State Lodge
- Sh42.5 million for Mombasa State House
- Smaller amounts for facilities in Sagana, Kisumu, Nakuru, Kakamega, Kisii, and a government mechanical garage
Previously, such renovation funds were managed under the Ministry of Defence and the National Intelligence Service (NIS), but the current estimates reintroduce direct allocations under the presidency after a Sh1.5 billion budget was scrapped in 2024 amid public pressure.
The move appears to contradict Kenya Kwanza’s earlier pledges to curb luxury spending and embrace fiscal responsibility in light of plummeting donor funding, underwhelming revenue performance, and increasing debt obligations.
While reviewing the Sh4.3 trillion draft budget on May 2, Cabinet acknowledged that the estimates would require “substantial revisions,” citing plans to reduce the fiscal deficit to 2.7% without raising taxes.
Recurrent expenditure by ministries and departments has already surged, hitting Sh991.75 billion in the first nine months of the current fiscal year—up from Sh905.78 billion during the same period last year.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has pledged to rein in non-essential spending, with a focus on reducing recurrent expenditure related to salaries, operations, and office maintenance.
However, the rising development budget for State House has drawn criticism as a glaring exception.
Defending the upgrades, State House Comptroller Katoo Ole Metito said structural assessments had deemed parts of the residence unfit for use, and that renovation was more cost-effective than full reconstruction.
“People are seeing the renovations from afar. If you go inside the building, we haven’t lost the historical and architectural designs. The roof is not flat,” he said.
President Ruto has been more active in utilizing State lodges across the country compared to his predecessors, holding regular meetings in Eldoret, Kisumu, and Sagana, which may account for their inclusion in the upgrade plans.
Still, critics argue that amid economic hardship and rising cost of living, government spending must reflect the financial reality of most Kenyans.
