Ruto’s Office Renovation Budget Surges 300% to Sh1.46 Billion

Kenyan taxpayers will shoulder a massive increase in spending on President William Ruto’s office renovations as the Treasury allocates Sh2.3 billion for upgrades in the upcoming fiscal year, with the Office of the President’s development budget alone jumping nearly 300 times from previous levels.

According to expenditure estimates released by the Treasury, the Office of the President’s development budget will skyrocket to Sh1.46 billion from just Sh50 million in the current financial year – a staggering 300% increase that comes amid promises of austerity measures and budget cuts across other government sectors.

The bulk of this funding will be directed toward rehabilitation and refurbishment works at various presidential facilities, with State House Nairobi and other State lodges receiving Sh894.9 million for renovations.

These allocations represent one of the few increases in government spending as most departments face budget constraints.

“The timing of these lavish expenditures raises serious questions about the administration’s commitment to fiscal responsibility,” said economic analyst Daniel Kariuki. “When ordinary Kenyans are being asked to tighten their belts, seeing such dramatic increases in spending on presidential facilities sends the wrong message.”

The renovations budget appears to contradict the Kenya Kwanza administration’s public commitments to eliminate wasteful and luxurious expenditures during the current financial crunch, which has been exacerbated by underperforming revenues and reduced external funding.

President Ruto while addressing residents in Migori on his three day tour.

Just days ago, on May 2, the Cabinet announced that the initial budget estimates of Sh4.3 trillion would undergo “substantial revisions” before presentation to Parliament, citing lower revenue expectations.

The statement indicated likely deep cuts to meet the goal of reducing the fiscal deficit to 2.7 percent without implementing tax increases.

Recent History of State House Renovations

The nearly Sh900 million allocation for State House renovations follows controversial recent makeovers that included converting the iconic colonial-era building to a flat roof structure.

Earlier expenditure disclosures revealed that funding for previous State House renovations had been taken over by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and the Ministry of Defense after public criticism.

In the second 2024/25 supplementary budget, the National Treasury had withdrawn funding for the State House facelift amid backlash against high spending.

The exchequer had initially set aside Sh1.5 billion for rehabilitation works before pulling the plug.

Kisumu West MP Rozaah Buyu has been vocal in her criticism: “We are spending too much beautifying the State House. If Kenyans are suffering because of budget cuts, the State House should take the lead in tightening the belt.”

Breakdown of Renovation Spending

The allocated Sh894.9 million includes:

• Sh680.7 million for general maintenance works at State House Nairobi
• Sh60.1 million for Eldoret State Lodge
• Sh42.5 million for Mombasa State House
• Sh25 million each for Nakuru and Kakamega State Lodges
• Sh24 million for Kisumu State Lodge
• Sh15 million for State House Sagana
• Sh12.5 million for Kisii State Lodge
• Sh10 million for the Mechanical Garage

While recurrent budgets for both the Office of the President and State House have remained relatively unchanged at Sh4.48 billion and Sh7.96 billion respectively, the massive increase in development funding has drawn scrutiny.

Government Defense

The National Treasury has defended the renovations budget as “important in supporting the Presidency.” In their budget statements, the Treasury noted that “In the fiscal year 2025/26 and throughout the medium-term period, the State House will support his excellency in executing the constitutional mandate.”

State House Comptroller Katoo Ole Metito previously told MPs that the renovations were necessary for facilities that had not been revamped in 117 years.

“People are seeing the renovations from afar. If you go inside the building, we haven’t lost the historical and architectural designs,” Ole Metito stated in defense of the controversial changes.

Unlike his predecessors who rarely used State lodges, President Ruto has regularly held meetings in facilities in Eldoret, Sagana, and Kisumu, potentially explaining the widespread allocation of renovation funds across multiple presidential residences.

As Parliament prepares to debate the budget proposals, it remains to be seen whether these dramatic increases in presidential office renovations will survive the scrutiny of lawmakers and the public in an economic climate that demands fiscal restraint.