Kenyan leader to build huge church at presidential office

Plans seen by a local newspaper suggest it could cost $9m and feature 8,000 seats

That statement alone has angered Kenyans already frustrated with his style of leadership and what they regard as the entanglement of the state and the church.

“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,” Ruto said on Friday.

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.

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 ahead.

“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.

On 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 people.

The paper questioned whether the project was in keeping with Kenya’s secular constitution.

There has also been criticism of the cost, estimated at $9m (£6.5m), at a time when 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 property.

The Atheists Society of Kenya is threatening legal action to stop the church being built, calling it shocking and unacceptable.

“We view this action as anti-democratic and a promotion of Christian nationalism by President Ruto. We want to remind him that Kenya does not belong to Christians only,” said the group’s head, Harrison Mumia.

William Ruto is Kenya’s first evangelical Christian president, cultivating a pious image and earning him the nickname of “deputy Jesus”.

During his many years in public office he has been known to quote scripture and cry in public – behaviour that has long alienated some Kenyans.

Back when Ruto was the deputy president, he erected a church at his government residence in the suburb of Karen, using it to host religious leaders of various faiths.

While roughly 85% of Kenyans are Christian, there is also a large Muslim population of about 11%, along with other minority faiths including Hinduism and traditional African religions.

There is no mosque or temple at the presidency.

Meanwhile, Nairobi’s Catholic Archbishop Philip Anyolo says clarity is urgently needed about the type of structure being built, otherwise it might be seen to favour one Christian denomination over others.

“We have to be very cautious with this. Such a structure ought to have been built in an area that is not a public institution. Unless what is being built is a chaplaincy, but that is also not clear.”

Amisi labels Ruto’s govt the worst in Kenya’s history

Valerian Khakayi 10:31 AM

Saboti MP Caleb Amisi at a past event. PHOTO/ facebook.com/CalebAmisi2018

Saboti Member of Parliament (MP) Caleb Amisi has heavily criticised President William Ruto’s government, labelling it the worst Kenya has had since independence.

Speaking to a local radio station on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, Amisi reflected on the history of Kenya’s leadership, pointing out that while previous administrations from Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel arap Moi, Mwai Kibaki, to Uhuru Kenyatta had some form of legacy, Ruto’s regime has failed to leave any significant mark.

Amisi further highlighted that there is no visible progress or legacy to associate with Ruto’s government. According to him, Jomo Kenyatta’s leadership created a post-colonial foundation for Kenya, something that Ruto has not managed to achieve.

“There is something terribly wrong with the government. We have had governments before from Jomo Kenyatta, Moi, Kibaki, Uhuru, and now Ruto. I think Ruto has turned out to be the worst we have had since independence; that one will go down in history, unfortunately,” he said.

Saboti MP Caleb Amisi at a past event. PHOTO/@Honcaleb amisi/X

Kenya Kwanza’s blunders

The MP also raised concerns over a series of blunders, both local and international, that he says have damaged Kenya’s global reputation. He cited the country’s declining diplomatic standing and reduced influence in key African and international forums.

In addition, Amisi pointed to the recent African Union Commission chairmanship outcome, which he claimed reflects Kenya’s weakened position under Ruto’s leadership.

“The worst, why? Because nothing seems to be working; there is no legacy attached. At least Jomo Kenyatta had a post-colonial legacy, but this one – there is nothing to write about this government,” he said.

“Secondly, the blunders locally and internationally – internationally, it seems Kenya no longer has a name; we have spoiled our diplomatic standing that has been created for the last six years. You could see the results of the African Union basically resemble our Kenyan stand in the international space.”

Amisi further accused the current regime of peddling lies and failing to deliver on its promises at the local level.

“Locally, it is lies, and that is why some of us have stood up against all odds,” he stated.

Author Valerian Khakayi View all posts by Valerian Khakayi

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyans disaffected with President William Ruto hold placards proclaiming “WANTAM,” a sensational slogan distilling their efforts to disgrace him as a “one-term” leader. They stick their index fingers in the air, saying Ruto must vacate the presidency when his term expires in 2027.

For others who want him gone only three years after he was elected, even that’s a long time.

Kenya’s fifth president became a remarkably unpopular leader barely two years into his presidency after proposing aggressive tax measures that many saw as a betrayal of his campaign promise to support working-class people. Ruto said new taxes were necessary to keep the government running.

Protests intensify

Ruto survived the tax-protest movement last year as thousands of young people took to the streets in an unsuccessful attempt to force his resignation. In the most violent incident that left at least 22 people dead, protesters sacked and attempted to burn the parliamentary building in the capital, Nairobi. Ruto said that would never happen again.

Ruto now faces a new wave of protests provoked most recently by the death of a blogger in police custody. Many Kenyans saw the incident as symptomatic of bad rule in Kenya, with the president firmly in control of the legislature and security apparatus.

“He has control of the institutions, but he doesn’t have control of the people,” said Karuti Kanyinga, an analyst and professor of development studies at the University of Nairobi. He noted Ruto suffers such “a low level of public confidence” that he is probably the most hated man in Kenya.

Ruto likely will stay in power until 2027, but “violence will continue to deepen” as young people, opposition politicians and others try to make an example of him in an escalating campaign to reform Kenya’s government, Kanyinga warned.

Public discontent

Protesters say they want to rid the government of corruption, marked by theft of public resources and the seemingly extravagant lifestyles of politicians. Some disparage Ruto as “Zakayo,” referring to the biblical tax collector Zacchaeus, and others call him “mwizi,” Kiswahili for thief.

The demonstrators also are inflamed by what they see as incessant deal-making under Ruto, who last year was forced to terminate an agreement worth an estimated $2 billion that would have seen Kenya’s main airport controlled by the Indian conglomerate Adani Group.

That deal, which became public months after security forces violently quelled anti-tax protests, reignited public discontent and reinforced a view of Ruto as unrepentant and unwilling to listen to his people.

To a degree rare for an African leader, Ruto constantly speaks about efforts to expand the tax base. His negotiations for new debt with the International Monetary Fund have drawn criticism from those who say proposed reforms will hurt poor people while benefitting politicians and the business class.

Last year, he told Harvard Business School’s Class of 2025 that he wasn’t going to preside over “a bankrupt country.”

Protesters are “not feeling heard and there’s a sense that things have not really changed since the protests last year,” said Meron Elias, an analyst in Kenya with the International Crisis Group. “There’s a lot of grief and bitterness from last year’s protest that is also feeding into current tensions.”

Peter Kairu, a 21-year-old student, agreed, saying he didn’t expect the government to address issues of corruption and nepotism raised by the protesters.

“Until we ourselves become the change we want,” he said.

Eileen Muga, who is unemployed in Nairobi, expressed safety concerns about disappearing “the moment you say something about the government.”

After thousands of people marched in Nairobi last week to mark the anniversary of the previous year’s anti-tax protests, Ruto said he was not going anywhere, warning if there was no Kenya for him, that also would be the case for others.

“If we go this route, we will not have a country,” he said of the protest movement. “Yes, and the country does not belong to William Ruto. The country belongs to all of us. And if there’s no country for William Ruto, there’s no country for you.”

The speech was characteristic of Ruto and underscored why many Kenyans are afraid of him even as they try to challenge him.

Kipchumba Murkomen, Ruto’s interior minister, has also spoken forcefully against protesters, saying they will be dealt with harshly.

A history of political maneuvering

Years ago, as Kenya’s deputy president, Ruto outmaneuvered his predecessor, Uhuru Kenyatta, in a bad-tempered power struggle that the president lost.

Photos sometimes showed Ruto glowering over Kenyatta. The local press reported an incident when Ruto was so angry with his boss that he felt he wanted to slap him. The two embodied a close, almost brotherly relationship in their first term but quickly fell out at the beginning of their second when Kenyatta tried to dismantle Ruto’s sway over the official bureaucracy.

Ruto won the 2022 presidential election by a narrow margin, defeating opposition leader Raila Odinga, who had Kenyatta’s backing. Ruto has since co-opted Odinga, drawing him close as a political ally but also eliminating a potential rival in the next election.

Ruto fell out with his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, within the first two years of the presidency. In October, legislators with the ruling party impeached Gachagua in a parliamentary process Ruto said he had nothing to do with. Gachagua insisted lawmakers were acting at Ruto’s instigation.

Ruto did to Gachagua what Kenyatta chose not to do to Ruto, and some saw Gachagua’s removal as yet another sign that Ruto is intolerant and can’t be trusted, political analyst Macharia Munene said.

When he ran for president, Ruto positioned himself as an outsider and rallied for electoral support as the leader of a so-called “hustler nation,” a campaign that he said would economically empower ordinary Kenyans.

The strategy appealed to millions struggling with joblessness and inequality. Informal traders, passenger motorcyclists and market women were often among his supporters. Ruto also aligned himself with the evangelical Christian movement, often seen carrying a Bible and preaching at pulpits.

After taking office, Ruto spoke of an urgent need to make Kenya’s debt sustainable. The tax hikes in a controversial finance bill came months later. He also removed the fuel subsidies that many Kenyans had come to take for granted.

“I think it’s a question of overpromising and underdelivering,” said attorney Eric Nakhurenya, a government policy analyst. “That’s why Kenyans are angry.”

___

Muhumuza reported from Kampala, Uganda.

At least eight killed and hundreds hurt as Kenya protesters battle police

Police fired tear gas and water canons to break up protests

The government banned live TV and radio coverage of the protests, but its decree was overturned by the High Court in the capital, Nairobi.

Many of those demonstrating chanted “Ruto must go” and waved branches as a symbol of peaceful opposition to his rule.

Police clashed with protesters in the capital Nairobi and other cities exactly a year on from the wave of deadly anti-government demonstrations that hit the nation in 2024.

At least eight people have been killed and 400 injured as thousands took to the streets in a day of protests across Kenya against President William Ruto’s government.

Ruto urged protesters not to threaten peace and stability, as crowds tried to reach his official residence but were pushed back by police.

“Protests should not be to destroy peace in Kenya. We do not have another country to go to when things go wrong. It is our responsibility to keep our country safe,” he said.

The president was speaking at a burial ceremony in the coastal county of Kilifi.

His absence from State House, his official residence, was notable as young protesters threatened to storm it.

Police used barricades and razor wire to seal off major roads – especially those leading to State House and parliament.

The authorities have not yet given any casualty figures from Wednesday’s protests, but the Kenya Medical Association, Law Society of Kenya and the Police Reforms Working Group said in a joint statement that at least eight protesters were killed.

Of the 400 injured, 83 required “specialised treatment” and eight had suffered gunshot wounds. The injured included three police officers, the statement added.

A human rights group – Amnesty Kenya – put the death toll as high as 16.

One demonstrator, Amina Mude, told the BBC she joined the protests “to fight for the future of my kids”.

“I feel like as a country we’re not going in the right direction, especially in education and everything happening.

“I feel like it’s high time that the country and the leadership listens to us.”

In Nairobi, video footage showed plumes of white tear gas drifting between buildings, sending protesters scrambling for cover, coughing, and shielding their eyes.

In the heart of the city, protesters marched past shuttered shops and empty streets.

The fence around parliament was lined with wreaths and handwritten notes from grieving families and defiant youths – a reminder of last year’s unrest at the site.

A young woman draped in a Kenyan flag clutched a poster bearing the names of those killed a year ago by the security forces as they tried to end the protests.

‘Shoot in the leg’ – Kenyan leader orders police to curb violent protests

President William Ruto urged his political rivals to wait for the 2027 elections

He further warned his political rivals against sponsoring and using violent protests and “unlawful” means to forcibly remove him from power.

“Anyone caught burning another person’s business or property should be shot in the leg, hospitalised, and later taken to court. Don’t kill them, but ensure their legs are broken,” the president said.

The UN and human rights groups have accused the police of using excessive force in the recent wave of anti-government protests – 31 people were killed on Monday, according to a state-run body.

Kenya’s President William Ruto has ordered police to shoot protesters targeting businesses in the legs, ensuring they are incapacitated but not killed.

In addition to the 31 deaths, more than 100 people were injured and about 532 arrested in the protests which hit the capital Nairobi and other major cities, said the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR).

The Kenya police says that 11 people died.

The UN said it was deeply troubled by the killings and criticised the Kenyan police for using “lethal ammunition” against protesters.

But in an address on Wednesday, Ruto defended the police action, saying an attack on security forces would be a “declaration of war” against the country.

“Kenya cannot and will not be ruled through threats, terror, or chaos. Not under my watch,” the president said, vowing to “firmly” deal with those behind the protests.

He said any change of government was only possible through the ballot and not through protests, urging his opponents to wait for the 2027 general elections.

“This country will not be destroyed by a few people who are impatient and who want a change of government using unconstitutional means. It is not going to happen,” Ruto added.

Speaking to the BBC World Service’s Newshour, government spokesman Gabriel Muthuma accepted there had been incidents of excessive force by police, adding that some policemen were under investigation.

But he claimed that Ruto’s order to shoot protesters in the legs should be viewed in the context that “we’ve had people who have now taken up to go and burn the police stations…to go and burn people’s property and sometimes actually injure the police.”

Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has denied claims that the opposition was planning to overthrow Ruto.

“Nobody wants you out of government unconstitutionally. We want to face you on the ballot in August 2027, so just relax,” said Gachagua, who was elected alongside Ruto in 2022 but was impeached last year after the pair fell out.

There has been rising tension in the country since the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody last month brought people back onto the streets, a year after young protesters stormed parliament angered by a wave of tax rises.

Rising economic challenges have fanned anger in a country where youth unemployment and the quality of jobs remain significant concerns.

Ruto acknowledged the youth unemployment crisis in the country but said the job challenges had existed long before he came to power in 2022. He said that his administration was the first to take deliberate steps to address it.

The 58-year-old leader questioned why some Kenyans have been more critical and confrontational towards his administration compared to previous governments.

“Why cause all the chaos during my time? Ruto asked rhetorically, warning against ethnic politics.

“You can call me whatever names you want to call me, but I will make sure there is peace and stability in Kenya.”

Monday’s protests were intended to commemorate Kenya’s decades-long struggle for democracy but they quickly escalated into deadly clashes in 17 out of the country’s 47 counties, local media reported.

Many of those demonstrating chanted “Ruto must go” and “wantam”, meaning “one term”, a popular rallying call demanding President Ruto leave office.

In a statement issued on late Tuesday, the KNCHR said the sharp rise in the death toll was “deeply troubling”.

“The KNCHR strongly condemns all human rights violations and urges accountability from all responsible parties, including police, civilians and all other stakeholders,” it added.

The commission also documented widespread looting and destruction of both public and private property by unidentified individuals.

Among those killed was a 12-year-old pupil who was hit by a stray bullet while at home in Kiambu, in the outskirts of the capital, local media reported.

“It is very concerning that these latest incidents come barely two weeks after more than 15 protesters were reportedly killed and many more injured in Nairobi and other parts of Kenya on 25 June,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

“Lethal ammunition, rubber bullets, tear gas, and water cannons were used,” Shamdasani added.

At least two hospitals were damaged after unidentified attackers raided the facilities and stole medical equipment and harassed staff, Reuters news agency reported.

Religious and rights groups have demanded a prompt and independent investigation into the killings, destruction of property and arbitrary arrests.

Opposition leaders on Tuesday accused the government of deploying unmarked police vehicles to transport armed gangs to perceived opposition strongholds during the protests.

They called for a national boycott of all businesses affiliated with President Ruto’s administration, accusing his government of deploying state-sponsored violence and extrajudicial killings on Kenyans.

“This regime is hostile. It cannot be reasoned with. It must be resisted. We will not rest. We will not retreat. We will not surrender,” the opposition said in a joint statement.

Kenya’s Chief Justice Martha Koome has cautioned the country against the increasingly violent protests, saying they risked the nation’s democratic fabric.