Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has declared the Homabay County Commissioner's residence a State Lodge.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

In a gazette notice dated Tuesday, May 12, Murkomen announced that the residence will now hold state lodge status with effect from Friday, May 15.

According to the notice, the declaration is intended for the general information of the public and formally designates the facility for official state functions and use.

"It is notified for the general information of the public that the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration declares Homa Bay County Commissioner's R residence as a State Lodge," Murkomen stated in the gazette notice.

📌 What You Need to Know

The declaration comes a year after the facility was constructed in Homa Bay Town ahead of the 2025 Madaraka Day celebrations.

The facility hosted President William Ruto during the Madaraka Day celebrations , though it was not yet declared formally as a state lodge and has been used by the county commissioner as his official residence since then.

The declaration means that the government has officially upgraded the property into an exclusive, high-security secondary residence for the Head of State.

The County Commissioner is now required to vacate the premises to give the president and high-ranking state officials exclusive access to the facility during regional tours.

It also means that the management, maintenance, and security of the facility are now transferred from the Ministry of Interior to the State House Comptroller's office.

State Lodges are government-designated residences used to host official state engagements, visiting dignitaries, and other high-level government functions outside the capital.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke