Everything, or not, you should see inside the Freemasons lodge

The Freemasons Hall on Nyerere Road in Nairobi. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Imagine this. All your life, you have heard whispers about the Freemasons. The secret handshakes, the dark halls, the mystery.

Now imagine being told it's a club for the elite; suits with deep pockets and even deeper secrets.

And then, this week you hear...drumrolls...the Freemasons are "broke." Well, sort of. They are staring down a Sh19 million debt in unpaid land rates. Not exactly the kind of mystery they want uncovered.

But here's the real shocker. The Freemasons yesterday opened their doors to the public.

The Freemasons Hall, or a lodge if you like, sits quietly on Nyerere Road in Nairobi.

The brown door, topped with a classic Freemasonry symbol, leads into a pre-colonial style building wrapped in white and grey walls and understated charm.

The Freemasonry symbol, atop the door is one you can't miss. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

It's the kind of place you have probably passed a hundred times without realising it's a hotbed of conspiracy theories and whispered tales. That white structure? Yep, it belongs to them.

But what truly grabs your eye is the inscription on the main entrance.

"God said of King Solomon, he shall build me a house and I will establish his throne forever."

Turns out God might just be for everyone, Christians, non-Christians, and the Freemasons too.

The wording inscribed on the Hall's main entrance. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

And as if that weren't enough to flip the script, the Grand Master Mason, William Ramsay McGhee of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, was in town for official business and spilled a few secrets.

Not the cloak-and-dagger kind, more like what it is the Freemasons do.

"Contrary to what some people believe, Freemasonry is purely and simply an organisation that tries to make good men better men. We try to restore in them the values of integrity and honesty," he said.

So, are there secrets? Yes. But mostly about how they guide new members. And while the 'rituals' remain under wraps, at least now you know the building. You've seen it in full color.

Oh, and by the way, anyone (read: good men) can join. There's just one catch. You need a referral from an existing member.

The gate to th entrance of the Freemasons Nairobi Hall. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]