A new State Lodge is set to be constructed in Kitui County, the same region that recently hosted this year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations. The development comes only a few months after the construction of another State Lodge was inaugurated in Homa Bay during a public holiday. It is a trend that has sparked public debate in the Country.
In recent years, a pattern has emerged where every county hosting a national celebration seems to gain its own State Lodge. While the proponents have framed it as part of efforts to decentralize presidential presence and enhance regional development, the move has been met with criticism.
Presently, Kenya has 9 State Lodges in addition to 3 main State Houses in Nairobi, Nakuru, and Mombasa. The official justification is that these lodges provide temporary accommodation for the Head of State during regional visits. Yet, the frequency of such visits hardly seems to warrant such extensive infrastructure.
Critics argue that maintaining a network of residences that will remain idle for most of the year amounts to unnecessary public expenditure.
“How can one individual fully utilize eleven State Lodges and three State Houses?” some have asked, calling the idea unfathomable in a country still grappling with budget constraints and competing development priorities.
For perspective, the United States, often considered the world’s superpower, maintains only three official presidential residences: the White House in Washington, D.C., Camp David in Maryland, and Blair House for visiting dignitaries.
With a possibility of more state lodges, netizens have increasingly laughed off the idea, calling the already completed lodges “National BnBs”.
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