High Court orders Parliament to Disclose Spending on National Prayer Breakfast
News Updated: 26 May 2026 13:05 EAT
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The High Court has ordered Parliament to disclose how much public money is spent on the annual National Prayer Breakfast held every May, but declined to declare the event unconstitutional or illegal.
In a ruling delivered on Tuesday, Justice Gregory Mutai found that Parliament violated the petitioner’s constitutional right to access information after failing to provide details regarding expenditure on the annual event.
The petition had been filed by Nairobi lawyer Lempaa Suyianka, who sought orders compelling the National Assembly, Senate and Parliamentary Service Commission to reveal how much taxpayer money is used to organise the National Prayer Breakfast.
Suyianka also sought to stop the use of public funds for future editions of the gathering, arguing that Parliament’s involvement in organising the event violated constitutional principles on the separation of religion and the State.
Court documents showed that the lawyer first submitted a formal request seeking expenditure records related to the 2025 National Prayer Breakfast before escalating the matter after failing to receive satisfactory responses.
The court ruled that Parliament’s responses did not meet the constitutional threshold required under Article 35 on access to information and emphasized that public institutions are obligated to provide information in a clear and accessible manner.
Justice Mutai ordered Parliament to jointly or separately provide the requested expenditure details within 30 days and directed that the information be released in a format understandable to ordinary citizens.
However, the judge declined to rule that the National Prayer Breakfast violates Article 8 of the Constitution, which prohibits the establishment of a State religion, saying the matter had not been properly pleaded before the court.
The court also rejected claims that hosting the event at Safari Park Hotel was discriminatory or inaccessible, noting that the venue is open to the public and that proceedings are usually broadcast live.
The National Prayer Breakfast was introduced in Kenya in 2003 and has since become an annual parliamentary event bringing together political leaders, diplomats, clergy, business executives and civil society representatives.
This year’s edition is expected to take place in Nairobi and attract senior government officials, religious leaders and invited guests from across the country and abroad.
The ruling is likely to renew debate over transparency, accountability and the use of taxpayer funds in state-linked religious events, particularly amid growing public scrutiny over government expenditure.
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FELIX MAKONA
FACT FINDER AND DATA DRIVEN JOURNALIST. DATA MINING AT IT'S BEST. GET FACTS RANGING FROM MATTERS DISABILITY AND INCLUSION, POLITICS, ECONOMY, SPORTS AND GENERAL NEWS AROUND THE WORLD