In Kenya, few names spark as much speculation and whispered curiosity as the Freemasons. Mention being part of this centuries-old fraternity in public and watch the room shift, eyes narrow, conversations stall, and discomfort creeps in.
Notable former (some deceased) and current masons include former Attorney General Charles Njonjo, former Vice President Moody Awori and retired Court of Appeal Judge AB Shah.
The secretive organisation has been cloaked in mystery, rumour and myth for decades. From alleged occult practices to whispers of underground influence, the Freemasons have long captured the public imagination.
Their meetings, held behind the high, tree-lined walls of the Freemason Hall along Nairobi's Nyerere Road, are a source of endless fascination, yet few have seen what really happens inside.
That is, until controversy recently brought them back into the limelight. Nairobi County government moved to clamp down on the society's historic headquarters over an alleged Sh19 million land rates debt, prompting outrage and a dramatic legal standoff.
According to the county, only 20% of landowners in the city have cleared their land rates, and the Freemasons were no exception. But the Masonic Trustees hit back, arguing they’ve been legally exempt since 1990 and accusing the county of violating their rights.
The dispute comes as the Freemasons are attempting to shed their image of secrecy. During a recent visit to Nairobi, William Ramsay McGhee, the Grand Master Mason from Scotland, offered a rare glimpse into society’s inner workings.
A Freemason of over 50 years and a churchgoer himself, Ramsay was keen to dispel the myths that haunt the Freemason fraternity.
"Freemasonry is not a religion but a way of life. We accept members of all faiths, as long as they believe in a Supreme Being," he explained. "We're simply good, honest men trying to make better men out of others through charity and service.”
Ramsay was clear: the symbols they use, the Square and Compasses, the All-Seeing Eye, are metaphors, not markers of the occult.
“We don’t practise witchcraft or sacrifice anything,” he said. “There are just two or three ceremonial secrets, nothing dark.”
Still, joining isn’t easy. Prospective members must undergo a year-long vetting process, including recommendations by existing members.
And contrary to belief, it's not just a men’s club. Ramsay revealed that women Freemasons exist but hold separate meetings, a nod to tradition rather than exclusion.
“We support women’s Freemasonry, but we don’t hold joint sessions. Socially, however, we mix,” he said.
Freemasonry’s charitable arm is robust. Ramsay recently led a drive that raised £1.2 million for prostate cancer research, benefiting communities from Kenya to the Caribbean.
Yet in Kenya, suspicion persists. In 2022, Gor Mahia chairman and lawyer Ambrose Rachier publicly declared his Freemason membership, rejecting the narrative that the society is tied to Satanism. “We’re not based on any one religion.
There are Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, and even atheists. It's all about charity,” he told NTV.
As the land rates court battle unfolds, Freemasons insist they are being unfairly targeted despite a longstanding exemption granted through Legal Notices No. 389 and 390 of 1990. Their petition, filed by Rachier and Amollo Advocates, accuses Nairobi County of using force, destroying their gate, and defying legal boundaries.
Now, all eyes are on the court as the Masonic brotherhood fights back, not just to protect their property, but to redefine their image in a country where myth still overshadows their mission.
Because behind the gates, symbols, and rituals lies a fraternity claiming to be bound not by dark forces, but by honour, secrecy, and charity.
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