Nairobi County officials this week clamped down on the historic Freemasons’ Hall in the city center after the Grand Lodge of East Africa failed to settle land rates amounting to Ksh19 million.

The operation, part of a citywide crackdown on land rate defaulters, was led by Revenue Team Leader Suzanne Silantoi and Chief Officer for Revenue Lydia Mathia. The county is intensifying efforts to recover unpaid rates that have crippled service delivery and development projects in the capital.

“This particular premises owes Nairobi County over Sh19 million in land rates arrears,” Silantoi said during the exercise. “We are not only clamping properties of defaulters, but we are also moving to disconnect essential services such as water and sewer lines where necessary.”

County officials explained that the enforcement followed all legal procedures, including issuing demand notices and publishing warnings in newspapers. Property owners were given ample time to comply before the clampdown was executed.

“Before any clamping is done, we issue official demand notices and publish them in local dailies instructing landowners to clear outstanding rates,” Silantoi said. “When they fail to respond, we are legally mandated to take enforcement action.”

Chief Officer for Revenue Mathia acknowledged the inconvenience such actions may cause to tenants, but emphasized that the county must uphold the law and protect public resources.

“Disconnection of such services is within the law,” she noted. “If you can’t pay land rates, how do you expect to benefit from county services? It is unfortunate that tenants may suffer due to their landlords’ negligence.”

The Freemasons’ Hall clampdown highlights a broader problem: of Nairobi’s 256,000 registered land parcels, only 50,000 are compliant—just 20 percent. This poor compliance rate has deepened the county’s financial woes, affecting infrastructure, payrolls, and basic services.

Determined to reverse the trend, county officials say enforcement will continue until rate defaulters are held accountable.

“We are determined to recover what is owed to the county,” Silantoi affirmed. “This is just the beginning.”