Karen Country Club Breaks Silence After Viral 'Open To Public' Reports

The Karen Country Club in Nairobi has been forced to clarify reports that it was open to members of the public, a matter that turned the premises into a trending topic on social media.

In a statement to newsrooms on Wednesday, August 31, the luxurious club affirmed that it remains a 'members-only club'.

Admission to membership as a result is only considered when a potential member is introduced by two members who have been at the club for not less than two years.

A restaurant at the Karen Country Club in Nairobi. /INSTAGRAM.KAREN COUNTRY CLUB

It also noted that the Clubhouse and club facilities are restricted to its members and member guests alone.

“Karen Country Club is a family-oriented members only Club. Admission to membership remains through introduction by 2 members who have been at the club for a minimum 2 years and are of good standing,” General Manager Robert Onyango said in the statement.

“The Clubhouse and facilities at the Club are open for use by members and member guests only and are not open to the public. Access to the club by member guests is governed by club by-laws.”

Onyango however added that non-members are welcome to the club, but just to play golf, which comes at prescribed fees.

The Residences, he noted, are open to members of the public across all ages and that it stages events that cater to everyone.

"Non-members may visit the club to play golf and do so upon payment of the prescribed green fees. The Residences are the only facilities at the club that are open to the general public,” noted Onyango.

“Access to the Clubhouse from the Residences is controlled and is limited to guests who come in for breakfast. The Club continues to attract both young and old and we strive to ensure that events are structured to cater to all age groups.”

The club, which features a golf course, was initially limited to members affiliated with it.

The Residences, the club's modern cottages and apartments that sit on the edge of the 225-acre facility had offered accommodation to club members and their guests.

The Residences, according to a Business Daily report, was recently opened to the public, a move which signifies its attempt to break into Kenya's hospitality industry as a means of boosting its earnings through various ways.

Previously, private golf clubs were only limited to income from green fees, membership fees, food, and beverage sales, and shop sales to fund themselves before a mismatch between the ageing golf clique and the new younger memberships coupled with harsh economic times forced them to look for other ways to make money.

A cottage at the Karen Country Club in Nairobi. /INSTAGRAM.KAREN COUNTRY CLUB