04-07-2025
Kenya's William Ruto to build huge church at State House
Kenyan President William Ruto says he is building a church at the presidential residence in Nairobi that he will pay for himself - and says he has nothing to apologise for."I am not going to ask anyone for an apology for building a church. The devil might be angry and can do what he wants," President Ruto said on statement alone has angered Kenyans already frustrated with his style of leadership and what they regard as the entanglement of the state and the BBC has asked the government for comment.
It is not clear who Ruto was referring to as "the devil" in his comments at state house, but he says nothing will stop the project from going Friday one of Kenya's leading newspapers - the Daily Nation - published architectural designs showing a large building with stained glass windows and capacity for 8,000 paper questioned whether the project was in keeping with Kenya's secular constitution. There has also been criticism of the cost, estimated at $9m (£6.5bn) at a when time many Kenyans are struggling with the rising cost of living. Ruto said he would pay for the church out of his own pocket, however that raises the question of whether he has the right to build such a large structure on state-owned an open letter, one MP said Kenya was not a Christian state andbelonged to people of all diverse East African nation is also home to many of followers of Islam, Hinduism and traditional African religions - as well as some agnostics and atheists. There is no mosque or temple at the presidency."I did not start building this church when I entered the State House. I found a church but one made out of iron sheets. Does that look befitting for the State House?" a defiant Ruto told politicians at a meeting he hosted on Friday.
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