The High Court in Nairobi has temporarily stopped President William Ruto’s decision to put up a permanent church within the premises of State House in Nairobi.
In a ruling delivered by Justice Chacha Mwita, the court halted the planned construction of a modern church at State House pending the hearing and determination of the matter.
“A conservatory order is hereby issued restraining the government, its officers and or anyone acting on its behalf from constructing a permanent church or building associated with any religious faith within the grounds of State House, Nairobi or any other State House or State Lodges until November 18, 2025,” the court ruled.
According to Justice Mwita, he was satisfied by the application, stating that the petition raised fundamental constitutional and legal questions touching on the State and religion, which require urgent investigation.
In the ruling, the respondents were directed to submit their response to the matters raised by the petitioners within seven days upon being served with the application.
The Atheists In Kenya Society is delighted about this development. We welcome the Court’s decision.
Our Constitution prohibits the Government from being overly entangled with religion. Article 8 of our Constitution is clear: There shall be no state religion.
Kenya had approximately 755,750 atheists in Kenya, according to the 2019 Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. This figure reflects the growing visibility and acceptance of atheism in the country. We believe the number is even higher today.
Building a 1.2 BChurch at the State House would be discriminatory to atheists.
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