Nairobi State House upgrade costs Sh600m

President Ruto Unveils Ongoing Nairobi State House Renovations.

President William Ruto gave a rare look at the Nairobi State House renovations on Saturday. He hosted Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embaló.

Ruto showed off the transformed residence. It has a bold new flat roof design, different from the old red roof that defined it for years.

Photos from the event show a more modern appearance. The front of the building now has only one dormer.

Before, there were two dormers. One had the presidential and East Africa Community flags. The other had the Kenyan flag.

A Chinese contractor is doing the renovations. The goal is to update the nearly 100-year-old building.

Work began in December 2023. It should be done in a few months, sources say.

British architect Herbert Baker designed the house in 1907. It was called Government House then.

Sir Edward Gregg lived there. He was Kenya's governor during colonial times.

After independence, it became State House. It is the official home of the head of state.

The building has not had major work done since then. There were worries about its safety. This led the president to order a facelift.

When Ruto took office, some small changes were made, including new paint and a new state pavilion.

The front courtyard was also redone. It now has gray cabro paving instead of asphalt.

The original budget for the renovation was Sh195 million. It was raised by Sh600 million in the mini-budget.

This is to pay for new structures that are also being built.

Nairobi State House sits on 3 square kilometers of land.

 

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President Ruto Unveils Ongoing Nairobi State House Renovations.

President William Ruto gave a rare look at the Nairobi State House renovations on Saturday. He hosted Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embaló.

Ruto showed off the transformed residence. It has a bold new flat roof design, different from the old red roof that defined it for years.

Photos from the event show a more modern appearance. The front of the building now has only one dormer.

Before, there were two dormers. One had the presidential and East Africa Community flags. The other had the Kenyan flag.

A Chinese contractor is doing the renovations. The goal is to update the nearly 100-year-old building.

Work began in December 2023. It should be done in a few months, sources say.

British architect Herbert Baker designed the house in 1907. It was called Government House then.

Sir Edward Gregg lived there. He was Kenya's governor during colonial times.

After independence, it became State House. It is the official home of the head of state.

The building has not had major work done since then. There were worries about its safety. This led the president to order a facelift.

When Ruto took office, some small changes were made, including new paint and a new state pavilion.

The front courtyard was also redone. It now has gray cabro paving instead of asphalt.

The original budget for the renovation was Sh195 million. It was raised by Sh600 million in the mini-budget.

This is to pay for new structures that are also being built.

Nairobi State House sits on 3 square kilometers of land.



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It's fascinating to see such significant renovations taking place at Nairobi State House, especially with its long history. The shift from the iconic red roof to a more modern flat roof is a bold move and seems to signify a new era in the building’s history. The fact that the renovations are being carried out by a Chinese contractor and have extended the budget is a sign of the scale of the updates. It’s interesting that the renovation aims to balance preserving the building’s colonial legacy with ensuring it meets modern safety standards.


The redesign of the front courtyard with the gray cabro paving instead of asphalt shows attention to detail, and it’s nice to hear about the new state pavilion and other structural improvements. It’s clear that President Ruto is keen on maintaining the historical significance while also modernizing the space to ensure it’s functional for the future.