Some Kenya’s evangelical leaders support President William Root’s plan to build an 8,000-seat chapel on Nairobi’s presidency site. The president’s assertion of initiatives are personally funded, and the upgrade to an existing inter-intermediate worship facility has sparked both enthusiastic support and widespread criticism, making it a controversial point in the public conversation.
The proposal was boosted on June 15, 2025 when President Root hosted bishops, pastors and evangelicals from the Kenyan Evangelical and Indigenous Christian Church Federation at the Capitol. During the meeting, Bishop Samuel Ngacha solidly defended the church project, describing those who opposed it as “antichrist.” He questioned the integrity of critics and argued that the establishment of a proper church at the Capitol was consistent with Kenya’s Christian heritage.
Ngacha pointed out that there were already two existing iron sheet churches, one Catholic and one Protestant, and that the president’s intention was simply to upgrade these structures.
“If you see someone who is opposed to the altar, they must be anti-Christ,” Ngacha said. Mainstream church associations such as the Kenya Evangelical Alliance, the Kenya Catholic Bishops’ Conference, and the National Council of Kenya Churches did not attend the meeting.
Ole Sapit, Archbishop of Jackson, of the Anglican Church of Kenya, had previously questioned the nature of the project. “Will the President become a bishop or leader of this church? He further warned that the proposed chapel could “allienate religious minorities” who view it as a “dangerous precedent” as there are no similar facilities, particularly Muslims, Hindus or traditional African religions.
Nairobi Catholic Archbishop Philip Agnolo has called for clarity to the purpose of the chapel, suggesting that if it is a pastor, it should be non-denominational to avoid sending “a false message about religious inclusion in public institutions.” Muslim leaders also challenged President Root to build a mosque on the Capitol, if the intentions were truly comprehensive.
Critics, including legal experts, other religious leaders and civil society groups, have argued that the construction of the Christian church on the Capitol blurs the boundaries of faith and government and directly clashes with Kenya’s constitutional commitment to secularism.
Article 8 of the Kenya Constitution explicitly states that “there will be no religion of a state,” implying that the government must maintain religious neutrality. The petition has already been filed in the Kenya High Court as it is scheduled for hearing on July 24, 2025.
Opposition figures like Martha Kahlua argued that the Capitol is public land and that the president cannot build churches on public land using public or private funding.
President Root himself shook his resolve and declared, “I will not apologise to anyone for building a church. If the devil is angry, he can do what he wants.” He consistently argued that the construction is fully funded by his personal funds, saying, “I’m not spending government money, I’m spending my own money.”
His arguments directly address key public concerns regarding taxpayers’ money use. The president has also expressed surprise at the widely reported cost of Ksh1.2 billion ($9.2 million), questioning that only 300 people are large enough for such a number, especially when compared to an 11-storey building estimated at 350 million ($2.7 million).
State Capitol, Benard Nyagi publicly revealed the scope and necessity of the project. He said that budgets between KSH20 million ($155,000) and $30 million ($233,000) are sufficient, in stark contrast to the higher numbers circulating in media coverage.
Njagi described him and other worshippers as approaching the president for construction due to the aging conditions of the current worship center, describing it as “very cold” and potentially harmful to children at risk of pneumonia. In particular, Njagi’s proposal to the president calls for financial assistance for the construction of modern Anglican Church, Catholic worship centers and mosques, indicating a desire for a comprehensive worship facility within the Capitol.
He emphasized that the new modern church will promote worship conferences and other important gatherings that the current structure cannot accommodate. The existing Anglican Church was built in 2020 with the support of former First Lady Margaret Kenyatta.
Despite this spiritual and formal support, the project sparked intense national debate. Atheists at the Kenya Association call the project “unconstitutional and exclusive” and accused President Root of promoting Christian nationalism and pledging to pursue legal action.
The reported cost of Ksh200 million has also driven public rage, pointing to the pressing of national needs such as schools lacking basic infrastructure, hospitals without essential supplies, and delayed funding for education. Concerns have also been raised about transparency and potential financial mismanagement, with some speculating that a location within the Capitol building could protect it from public surveillance.
This is not the first time a proposal from a sitting president has sparked controversy in Africa. In 2020, Ghana’s then-President Nana Akufo Addo had pledged to build a national cathedral in Accra to honor God for election victory. He said, “I vowed to the Almighty God that after two failed attempts, I was graceful enough to win my party, the NPP and me, in the 2016 election.
It was then found that the first part of the $58 million cost was public funds, and the cathedral was incomplete and was now subject to corruption investigations by the current president of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama.
