City Lawyer Moves to Court to Stop Ruto’s Sh1.2B State House Church

NAIROBI, Kenya – A Nairobi-based lawyer has filed an urgent court application seeking to halt President William Ruto’s controversial Sh1.2 billion church project at State House, arguing it violates fundamental constitutional principles.

Levi Munyeri, in petition papers filed Monday, is asking the court to issue a conservatory order stopping the ongoing construction of what he describes as a “mega-church” within the State House complex, pending full hearing of the case.

The petition comes just days after President Ruto publicly acknowledged the church project on July 4, 2025, following a Daily Nation exposé that brought the secretive construction to light.

“This represents a blatant and unprecedented infraction of multiple constitutional provisions,” Munyeri argues in court documents, citing violations of the separation of church and state, public participation requirements, transparency, and equality principles.

The lawyer contends that the project, which involves building a religious structure on public land using resources from a private citizen, undermines Kenya’s constitutional framework that prohibits establishment of a state religion.

According to the petition, the church structure is already taking shape and is visible in satellite images near the presidential helipad at State House.

Munyeri warns that the construction was “shrouded in secrecy due to its unconstitutionality” and could have been completed without public knowledge.

The petition argues that constructing a church at the seat of government violates constitutional provisions preventing establishment of a state religion.

Munyeri contends the project proceeded without required public consultation or parliamentary approval, despite its scale and location on public land.

The lawyer questions the propriety of using public funds for religious infrastructure.

The petition warns that allowing the project could set a “dangerous precedent” for private citizens’ use of public land.

In seeking the conservatory order, Munyeri argues that without court intervention, “public resources will be plundered and the right of the public to participate in the use of public land be negated.”

The lawyer further warns that continued construction could allow the presidency to tamper with evidence and undermine any final court decision, potentially making the legal challenge meaningless.

“Unless the orders sought herein are granted, the presidency will technically impose a state religion, dilute the separation of state religion and set a dangerous precedent,” the petition states.

The case represents a significant constitutional test for President Ruto’s administration, coming at a time of heightened political tensions and just as Kenya marked its 35th Saba Saba Day under heavy police presence.

The court is expected to hear the application in the coming days, with the outcome potentially having far-reaching implications for church-state relations in Kenya and the use of public resources for religious purposes.

President Ruto has yet to respond to the specific legal challenge, though he previously defended the project, stating he has “no apologies to make for building church at State House.