Otiende Amollo: I’m not a freemason, neither is my law firm

Otiende Amollo

Senior Counsel and Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo (right) and his partner at Rachier and Amollo Advocates, Mr Ambrose Rachier. Mr Rachier has publicly admitted he is a Freemason. 

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

A day after Lawyer Ambrose Rachier offered an insider account of the Freemasons, Kenyans are still grappling with questions regarding the Freemasonry.

In an interview with NTV on Sunday night, Mr Rachier said he was introduced to Freemasonry in 1994 by his close friends, adding that the secret society is not based on any particular religion.

The Nairobi-based lawyer and chairperson of Gor Mahia FC said the Masonry includes many people in the country drawn from varied professions.

“Most people in freemasonry are simple Kenyans, some of them businessmen, some are judges of our courts; there are very few politicians,” Mr Rachier said.

Senior Counsel and Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo has since come out to dissociate himself with Mr Rachier’s revelations. Together they run a law firm in Nairobi – Rachier and Amollo Advocates.

The MP chose to clarify that the law firm is not associated with the Freemasonry, and neither is he a member.

“Interesting Times! Have Seen an Interview By My Law Firm Partner Ambrose Rachier On Freemasonry! I Am Not & Will Never Join Freemasonry! Let It Be Known That The Law Firm Of Rachier & Amollo LLP Is NOT Associated With The Movement!” said Dr Amollo in a tweet.

Devil worshiping

During the interview, Mr Rachier claimed that Masonry is not about devil worshiping, and that there are Muslims, Christians, as well as Buddhists in freemasonry.

He added that freemasonry is a society like any other formalised in 1640, and is a member’s organisation where recruits are invited and recommended by members.

“Freemasonry is arguably one of the oldest societies in the world coming from medieval times. Many secret societies existed particularly in England, but masonry became formalised around 1640 and then got perfected around 1813,” said Mr Rachier. 

According to Mr Rachier, once someone has been invited, they are subjected to an interview before being initiated into the association.

“It is a members’ organisation in which someone who knows you very well invites you to join. Our main objective is to engage in charity to help humanity. But, in the process, we ensure that our intellectual faculties are interrogated all the time and we also just have something that you can call companionship or fellowship through dinners and so forth,” he added.

He debunked myths that the secret society is not engaged in devil worship, and that their halls are decorated with citations from King Solomon about establishing a temple where God would establish his throne and eternal reign. 

“We have Muslims in freemasonry, Christians, Buddhists and a few atheists, so there is no reference whatsoever to issues of devil worship, whoever the devil is,” said Rachier. 

While the Gor Mahia boss insisted that the society was purely formed to focus on matters of charity, he also raised more questions when he said he refused to divulge whether the society engages in rituals. 

“I am not allowed to talk about it. If you want, I will propose you come and join, and you will not regret it so that you see how it is done. If you are at a lower level, we don’t tell you what we do at the second level or the third level. You have to pass a certain test,” he said. 

Stirred debate

His revelation, however, has brought forth many questions from Kenyans.

Lawyer Miguna Miguna criticized him for saying that Masonry is a charitable organization, yet there are no projects being funded by it.

“Ambrose Rachier hails from dirt poor Gem in Siaya County. If FREEMASONS are champions of CHARITY, how many schools, hospitals, orphanages and shelters for the homeless have they built? How many scholarships has Rachier funded? He KILLED Gor Mahia with his devil worship,” Miguna Miguna tweeted.