The government has set aside over Sh680 million to revamp State House Nairobi in the 2025/2026 budget, triggering public outrage as Kenyans face soaring taxes and painful cuts to essential services.

The renovation is part of a Sh894.9 million plan covering the President’s official residence and several state lodges.

Out of the Sh2.3 billion allocated to the Executive Office of the President, a large chunk will go into sprucing up these facilities, continuing upgrades that began after President William Ruto took office in 2022.

Specifically, Sh680.7 million has been set aside for State House Nairobi, with the remaining funds going to lodges in Eldoret (Sh60.1 million), Mombasa (Sh42.5 million), Nakuru (Sh25 million), Kakamega (Sh25 million), Kisumu (Sh24 million), Kisii (Sh12.5 million), Sagana (Sh15 million), and the Mechanical Garage (Sh10 million).

The Nairobi residence has remained a near-permanent construction site since 2022, undergoing structural changes, roofing works, and a redesign that replaced the colonial-style architecture with a flat-roofed structure, a move that drew criticism from the Architectural Association of Kenya.

The timing of this allocation has drawn public criticism, coming just a year after the government was forced to abandon controversial tax proposals following deadly protests led by young people opposing the Finance Bill 2024.

The move has also raised questions about the government’s austerity pledges. President Ruto has repeatedly committed to cutting non-essential and luxury spending, but the latest budget appears to contradict that stance.

Notably, the new Sh894.9 million allocation comes after the Treasury had earlier scrapped Sh1.5 billion earmarked for the same renovations in the 2024/2025 supplementary budget. The reappearance of the funding has left many questioning the government’s spending priorities.

Defending the move, the Treasury said the allocation was necessary for supporting the President’s leadership and execution of constitutional functions.
“In the fiscal year 2025/26 and throughout the medium-term period, the State House will support His Excellency in executing the constitutional mandate,” the budget documents read.

The facelift projects began shortly after President Ruto’s inauguration, following structural assessments that declared sections of the 117-year-old State House unfit. The building was originally constructed as the residence of the governor of the British East Africa Protectorate.

Under Ruto’s leadership, several state lodges—previously underused during the administrations of Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta—have been revived for official functions. Eldoret, Sagana and Kisumu lodges are now regular venues for cabinet meetings and other state engagements.

However, the continuous renovations have faced sharp criticism from civil society groups and lawmakers. In March, State House Comptroller Katoo ole Metito told MPs that the renovation funds were being channelled through the National Intelligence Service and the Ministry of Defence—a move critics say raises further concerns about transparency.

Records from the Controller of Budget show that Sh122.8 million was spent on renovations at State House in 2022/2023 and Sh50 million in 2023/2024. In comparison, former President Uhuru Kenyatta spent Sh10.7 billion on infrastructure and refurbishment in the final two years of his presidency.