President William Ruto’s administration has acquiesced to former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s request to designate his private Caledonia residence, located adjacent to State House along Nairobi’s Dennis Pritt Road, as his official retirement office.

This decision comes after Mr. Kenyatta declined the government’s initial offer to utilize the official office previously occupied by the late President Mwai Kibaki in Nairobi’s Nyari Estate. Instead, he expressed a preference to convert part of his private Caledonia residence into his office and requested that the government pay him rent for the space.

The administration’s agreement to this proposal marks a notable shift in the handling of post-presidential privileges and accommodations. The move has sparked discussions regarding the allocation of state resources and the precedents it sets for future former presidents.

Observers are keen to see how this decision will influence the relationship between the current administration and its predecessors, as well as its impact on public perception of governmental expenditures.