The Nairobi County Government has shut down the historic Freemasons’ Hall, home to the Grand Lodge of East Africa, over an outstanding land rates debt amounting to KSh 19 million (approximately TZS 396.6 million).
The operation, carried out on Tuesday, May 14, was led by Nairobi County Executive Committee Member for Health, Suzanne Silantoi. She stated that the closure was part of an ongoing county-wide crackdown on defaulters of land rates and other county dues.
“We followed all legal procedures before taking this action, including sending demand letters, issuing notices, and publishing warnings in daily newspapers,” said Silantoi.
She warned that the county government would not only continue shutting down properties owned by defaulters but would also disconnect essential services such as water and sewerage to compel compliance.
According to county statistics, out of the 256,000 registered land parcels in Nairobi, only about 50,000 are up to date with their land rates payments—representing a compliance rate of just 20%.
Silantoi emphasized that the county is determined to boost revenue collection to support service delivery and development initiatives in the capital. She urged property owners to settle their arrears promptly to avoid similar enforcement actions.
