State House, Kenya

The State House is the official residence of the President of Kenya. It was formerly known as Government House. It was built in 1907 to serve as the official residence of the governor when Kenya was a British Colony. The governor would conduct his official functions at the old Provincial Commissioner's office (now a national monument) next to Nyayo House and then retire to Government House for the day.

After independence, the Government House was renamed State House. Although it remained the official residence of the Head of State, in practice it became an administrative operational office occasionally providing accommodation to visiting State guests and receptions on National Days. This scenario has prevailed to-date with the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta and President Moi preferring private residence as opposed to living in State House.

State House of Nairobi stands on land with an area of 3 square kilometres. It is a 10-minute drive from the city centre. Other than the Nairobi one, there are other State Houses and Lodges scattered around the country to provide accommodation to the Head of State whenever he is touring various parts of the country.