A petition has been filed at the High Court to stop the State House church construction.
President William Ruto is now at the centre of a legal storm after a High Court petition was filed seeking to stop the ongoing construction of a church inside State House, Nairobi.
The petition, presented by Lawyer Levi Munyeri, was certified as urgent on Monday, July 7, by Justice Lawrence Mugambi, who ordered all parties to be served within three days.
In the directive, Justice Mugambi also gave a seven-day window for responses to be filed, with the matter set for further guidance on July 24.
“I have read the Certificate of Urgency… and thus give directions,” read part of the ruling.
This marks the first official legal challenge to the controversial construction plans.
The Atheists in Kenya Society (AIK) also announced that it had instructed lawyers to begin legal proceedings against President Ruto, accusing him of violating Article 8 of the Constitution, which separates religion and state.
AIK President Harrison Mumia slammed the move as a misuse of public space and warned that Kenya isn’t a Christian nation alone.
“This construction is anti-democratic and promotes Christian nationalism,” read part of AIK’s statement.
Ruto Confirms: Yes, I’m Building the Church
Responding to growing public scrutiny, President Ruto on Friday, July 4, confirmed that he is indeed building a church within State House but at his own expense.
“Yes, I’m building one here in the State House. And it won’t cost the government a single shilling,” he told leaders from Embu County.
The president defended the project, saying he found an iron-sheet church already in place, and wants to upgrade it to match the dignity of the compound.
A Daily Nation report had earlier claimed that the new church structure would cost Ksh1.2 billion, sparking national outrage.
But during a Sunday speech at the ACK Diocese of Embu, Ruto brushed off the figure as baseless propaganda.
“We’re building an 11-floor building elsewhere that costs Ksh350 million, how can a chapel cost Ksh1.2 billion?” he asked.
President Ruto clarified that the chapel is not a vanity project. Instead, it will serve over 300 families working within the State House compound, offering them a place of worship.
“Why hate the church of God?” Ruto posed, adding that he had no apologies to make for supporting churches.
With both a court petition and a looming lawsuit from AIK, the President is now walking a fine line between defending religious expression and respecting constitutional boundaries.
All eyes will be on the High Court come July 24, when judges are expected to give further directions on the matter.
