Building new State lodge should not be a priority

Kenya’s 2026 Economic Survey.[Courtesy, Standard]

It appears that no amount of public outrage can divert the Kenya Kwanza government from its misspending spree. Since it assumed the reins of power in 2022, promising to drastically change the fortunes of the economically downtrodden, one of the major focuses of President William Ruto’s administration has been on non-priority projects of minimal, if any, value to this class of citizens or, indeed, any other Kenyans.

One of these projects has been the refurbishment of State Houses and renovation of State lodges across the country, which continue to gobble up billions of shillings.

And as if that is not enough, the government went ahead to construct the Wajir State Lodge that was officially commissioned by President William Ruto during this year’s Madaraka Day. There is also a proposal to relocate the Nakuru State House, ostensibly due to severe congestion and limited room for expansion at its current location.

Further, the government plans to construct another State lodge in Meru inside Imenti Forest. While the environmental and social consequences of hiving off tens of acres from the water tower to build the lodge and a golf course are obvious, the nagging question is whether the project ranks high in Kenya’s hierarchy of needs. The truth, for the more than 50 million Kenyans, is that it doesn’t.

Indeed, wananchi are not bothered by the lack of a State lodge in Meru. They are more concerned about the high cost of living, which has literally pushed them to the edge.

At a time when Kenyans are buying fuel at exorbitant prices, when Social Health Authority is still limping and many cannot afford to offset hospital bills, when learning institutions are in the throes of crippling financial difficulties, when businesses are struggling to survive and even shutting down due to the tough operating environment and high taxes, when some Kenyans cannot afford to have three meals a day, when the taxman is struggling to meet financial targets and when the government is spending over 80 per cent of the collected tax revenue to service public debt, it is morally wrong to talk about constructing new State lodges.

Clearly, the Ruto administration either has its priorities upside down or has buried its head in the sand so deeply that it can not see that the people are going through very difficult times.

Don’t get us wrong. No one would mind the President having a State lodge in every corner of this country. But it is just not the right time for such projects.

However, for a government that doesn’t mind spending millions of shillings to hire luxury private jets for the President’s overseas travels, in a country where the Deputy President reportedly spends up to Sh8 million on helicopter rides in a day, for a government that habitually dishes out money to thousands of political delegates who visit State House every now and then, perhaps building one more State lodge is not such a big deal. But all said and done, that does not make sense in a country where everybody, apart from political leaders, is living on a shoestring.