'Not our State House', Kenyans outraged over renovations

The new look of State House Nairobi after renovations. [PCS] The facelift at State House has ignited a storm, sparking outrage over what critics term misplaced priorities and extravagance. With the country grappling with economic hardships, mounting debt, crumbling public hospitals, and dilapidated schools, questions have arisen about the government's commitment to its much-touted austerity measures. The sleek new design of the House on the Hill, which strips away its colonial heritage for a modern flat-roof look, has further fueled criticism, with concerns about erasing historical identity. Yet, despite the uproar, the government has remained tight-lipped about the cost of the renovations or their impact on taxpayers' already strained pockets. Repeated attempts to get a response from the government spokesperson's office bore no fruit by the time of going to press. Kenyans were not amused when pictures of a renovated State House emerged on the Internet on January 25, 2025. Conspicuously missing was the familiar red roof that gave the building a quaint look as a historic structure. The new look of the House on the Hill was revealed during a state reception in honour of Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Embalo. According to records presented to Parliament mid-last year, the refurbishments that cover State Houses and State Lodges will cost Sh1.5 billion in the current financial year. Documents presented to the National Assembly Committee on Administration and National Security show that in total, Kenyans will spend nearly Sh10 billion on the refurbishment of State Houses and Lodges across the country in the current financial year till 2026/27. While the facade has received a new coat of paint, removing the familiar red bricks and redesigning the roof to a flat one has Kenyans on edge, accusing the government of building a new State House. "Imagine [the] Pope building a new Cathedral or Trump constructing a new White House without public knowledge leave alone public participation," wrote Willie Oeba on X. Cornelius Ronoh was blunt in his dismissal of the two-year renovation works by stating that previous occupants of the house never came near to changing the character of the building embodies the highest authority in Kenya. "And just like that, the iconic State House has lost its identity. Mzee Kenyatta never did this, Moi, the longest occupant never did, Kibaki never did, and Uhuru never did this," said Ronoh. Others, such as a Mr Koech, termed the extravagant refurbishment of the 116-year-old building in Nairobi as a violation of the National Museums and Heritage Act though there is no information to state that it has even been declared a national monument. State House falls under the Protected Areas Act with the building and its precincts among the most hallowed grounds and most protected in Kenya. Showing up without an appointment, or worse still, trying to enter through unorthodox means is akin to signing a death sentence. Still, its historical aspect has given it a legacy and sentimental value only attained by few other structures such as the Railway House along Haile Selassie Avenue, Kipande House, the Old PC's House, and Standard Chartered Building, all along Kenyatta Avenue. The house was built in 1907 following architectural plans from British Architect Sir Herbert Baker. It began as the official residence of the then Governor of Kenya and later the official residence of the country's presidents. The Governors would work from a small office downtown before retiring for the night at Government House, now State House Baker's other works include the imposing railways headquarters and the administration building of Nairobi School, then Prince of Wales School. Unknown to many people is the fact that successive colonial governors allowed members of the public to tour the building, an unprecedented move made by the last Governor, Malcolm MacDonald just when Kenya was gaining her independence. Every Saturday afternoon, the grounds would be opened to members of the public who would have a ball as they strolled around the well-manicured lawns. No dogs were allowed. The fun trips were discontinued soon after Kenya became a republic with visitors only allowed in after thorough vetting and only by invitation. A report carried in The Standard newspaper on July 8, 1963, said the visits were so popular with "a steady stream of visitors, including a party of schoolchildren who strolled around the grounds and had their pictures taken in front of the flower beds and the Government House building." Since then, even those who had never set foot to State House have an affinity to the building which is emblematic of national pride. Professor Alfred Omenya, a sustainability architect says it is a big error of omission not to have State House listed as a national monument despite the place it occupies in Kenya's history, adding that there is a need to preserve the style laid down by the original architects for posterity. "I am deeply appalled by the renovations that seem to have 'created' another State House," says Omenya. "There is a style, and in the case of the State House, the neo-classical style which is very distinct. The style had rules of scale and proportions including the number of columns to be erected, how to design the base of such columns and the roofing design. By removing the tiled roof and replacing it with a flat one, they have not paid attention to these rules." According to Omenya renovations ought to have been about conservation and restoration rather than a complete change of design stating that all over the world, historical structures are usually restored to be as close to the original designs as possible. He cites the example of the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, South Africa whose design could have been altered due to what it represented but was not. "Statehouse has enough space had they wanted to make another structure without desecrating the current one. There are also very qualified architects and other built professionals who would have given their expertise on how to restore the structure to retain the long-held aesthetic value. If Baker [the architect] was to wake up from the dead and see what has happened, he would be disgusted too," says Omenya. As they vented online, some Kenyans compared the new look to America's White House whose construction began in 1792. Interestingly, the White House, which falls under US National Parks, has undergone several renovations to date. The two major renovation projects for the White House include the 1817 reconstruction after it was burned to the ground by the British. In 1902, Theodore Roosevelt modernised the White House by adding the West Wing where the Oval Office, or the US president's working space. Other renovations of the White House involve the overhaul of the lighting, heating and plumbing works. An X user with the name @collincebey says "The real tragedy is that the next president might end up restoring the roofs" with taxpayers carrying the tab once again. Others though supported the makeover saying other regimes will still use the same building that would have given in due to age.

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