- Lawyer files petition to block church construction at State House.
- President Ruto confirms the project but denies the Ksh1.2B cost claim.
- The court gives parties up to July 24 to respond and give updates.
- Atheists in Kenya Society also plan legal action over the matter.
- Ruto insists no public funds are being used in the project.
- He says the chapel will serve 300 staff families inside the State House.
President William Ruto is facing renewed pressure after a High Court petition was filed to stop the construction of a chapel inside the State House compound in Nairobi. The legal challenge comes days after the President publicly confirmed the existence of the project, while strongly denying that it’s a Ksh1.2 billion taxpayer-funded plan, as reported by local media.
Lawyer Levi Munyeri filed the urgent petition on July 7, which was certified by Justice Lawrence Mugambi, who directed that all related documents be served physically within three days. The judge gave respondents seven days to file their responses and set the next hearing for July 24, 2025.
The case follows a statement by the Atheists in Kenya Society, whose leadership has also threatened to sue President Ruto, claiming the project violates the constitutional principle of separation of religion and state.
“Kenya doesn’t belong to Christians alone,” said Harrison Mumia, president of the society, warning that the President is advancing what he termed Christian nationalism under the guise of faith.
The group believes the construction taking place within a national symbol of power is a dangerous path toward religious favouritism and misuse of government space.
During a speech in Embu County, President Ruto confirmed he is indeed building a permanent chapel inside the State House, but emphasised that it won’t cost the government a single coin. He explained that a makeshift iron-sheet chapel already existed before he took office, and he merely opted to replace it with a more dignified structure.
“I did not start the church. I found it. But it didn’t reflect the dignity of the State House,” he said.
“I will build the chapel myself, and the cost will not touch the public budget.”
Speaking at a Thanksgiving service in Embu, Ruto also addressed claims that the church project was valued at Ksh1.2 billion, terming it as wild speculation. He compared the cost to that of a modern 11-floor building estimated at Ksh350 million, saying it was impossible for a chapel for 300 people to cost nearly four times more.
“Let’s stop this propaganda and hatred for the house of God,” Ruto remarked.
“Why do people hate churches this much? The figures being quoted are completely fake.”
In his clarification, the President said the new structure is intended to serve around 300 staff families living and working at the State House. He added that this was not a personal ambition but a continuation of a practice that had existed long before his presidency.
With the case now in court and the public debate intensifying, it remains to be seen whether freedom of worship and public accountability can coexist inside Kenya’s most guarded address.
