Digital strategist and political commentator Dennis Itumbi has weighed in on the brewing debate surrounding spiritual leadership at State House, declaring Anglican Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit the de facto State House Bishop.
In a strongly worded statement on Saturday, Itumbi responded to Ole Sapit’s recent concerns about the construction of a new church within the State House compound. The Archbishop had publicly questioned the rationale behind the project, asking who would lead the new church and whether the President intended to act as its spiritual head.
“Will the president be the bishop or leader of this church, as we have seen him recently lead public prayers?” Ole Sapit asked during a media interview, further noting that the establishment could pose security risks and was not a national priority given the presence of several nearby churches.
However, Itumbi pushed back, asserting that tradition, geography, and history had long positioned the Anglican Church specifically its Archbishop as the spiritual authority at State House.
“When the British colonialists constructed State House, they deliberately allocated land next to Gate A for Archbishopbourne,” said Itumbi. “It was built with the intention that the Anglican Archbishop would serve as spiritual adviser to the colonial Governor and later, to the President.”
He highlighted that Archbishopbourne includes a chapel designed to seat 100, meant for presidential prayer and counsel, underscoring the Anglican Church’s intended proximity to power.
Itumbi also argued that the Anglican Church’s historical hesitation to shed denominational lines has contributed to its diminished spiritual role at the heart of government.
He cited a failed attempt by former President Uhuru Kenyatta to appoint a Catholic chaplain, which was thwarted by bureaucratic hurdles, to show the complexity of spiritual leadership at the presidency.
“So, Your Grace, my Archbishop, Most Reverend Ole Sapit, you don’t need to ask who should be State House Bishop,” Itumbi concluded. “By tradition, geography and divine proximity—you already are.”
The exchange highlights an ongoing tension between church and state, as questions arise over spiritual influence and religious symbolism within government institutions.
