Mount Kenya Safari Club

This history highlights the club's evolution from a romantic home to an exclusive global retreat, intertwined with tales of love, wealth, and intrigue.

---

The Mt Kenya Safari Club was born of a love affair, with all the elements of an epic romance—a handsome older woman, a dashing aviator, and Africa as their playground. Rhoda Lewinsohn, a stunningly attractive woman in her fifties, left her family in New York and embarked on a Kenyan holiday, where she met Gabriel Prudhomme, a much younger French bachelor and adventurer with his own airplane. Their love blossomed on safari, where Rhoda shot her first elephant and later fell madly in love with Gabriel. She left her philanthropic millionaire husband, married Gabriel in Paris, and returned to Kenya to live among the "Happy Valley" set.

The couple built a house at the foot of Mt Kenya, naming it "Mawingo," Kiswahili for "the clouds." Their Kenyan idyll lasted just a year before World War II shattered it. Rhoda returned to New York, and Gabriel joined the Free French forces in Algeria. The war ended their romance, and Rhoda divorced Gabriel, losing both her husband and their home. Gabriel had intended to return "Mawingo" to her, but he died before signing his will, leaving the house to his family, who never enjoyed it.

In 1948, "Mawingo" was bought by Abraham Block, who extended the house and turned it into an inn. A decade later, Hollywood film star William Holden, along with his friends Ray Ryan and Carl Hirschmann, stumbled upon the inn during a safari. Enchanted by its charm, they bought the property in 1959 and transformed it into the Mt Kenya Safari Club, one of the most exclusive clubs in the world. Over time, it expanded to include luxurious cottages, a golf course, tennis courts, a swimming pool, and a 1,000-acre game reserve. After Holden's death, the reserve became part of the William Holden Wildlife Foundation.

The club’s history took a dramatic turn in 1977 when Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi purchased it from Ray Ryan, who had Mafia connections. Eighty-four days later, Ryan was killed in a car bomb, likely by the Chicago gang he had associated with. Khashoggi, known for his CIA ties and a luxurious lifestyle funded by commissions from international arms deals, made the Mt Kenya Safari Club one of his many global retreats. He often hosted extravagant parties, attended by Hollywood stars like Elizabeth Taylor, and used the club as a base for his opulent, sometimes scandalous, lifestyle. The club also became a hub for Western intelligence operatives, the "Safari Club," who sought to limit Soviet influence in Africa, with U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger's tacit approval.

Khashoggi’s personal life was as colourful as his business dealings. He married English socialite Sandra Daly (later Soraya) in 1961, though they divorced in 1974. Their daughter, Petrina, was later revealed to be the child of disgraced Conservative MP Jonathan Aitken, adding to the family's scandals. Khashoggi’s purchase of the Mt Kenya Safari Club was brokered by Edward K. Moss, a CIA operative who became the club’s general manager, known as "Bwana Commander."

As scandals around Khashoggi mounted and his connections, including with Charles Njonjo (a director at Ol Pejeta), diminished, he found less comfort in Kenya. The Mt Kenya Safari Club changed ownership several times after Khashoggi. The property was eventually acquired by the Fairmont Hotels and Resorts group, which has maintained the club's reputation for luxury and exclusivity. Despite modernisation and expansions, the club continues to attract the rich and famous, including Catherine Deneuve, Liv Ullman, Stefanie Powers, and footballer Joe Montana.

Today, the Mt Kenya Safari Club remains a symbol of both Kenya's colonial past and its post-independence allure, where history, luxury, and a touch of scandal continue to draw visitors from around the world. The club’s legacy endures, a place where Rhoda Lewinsohn, years after her romance with Gabriel had ended, reflected, "Those were the happiest years of my life. There are no regrets."

The club has changed hands numerous times throughout its history:
1. **Gabriel Prudhomme and Rhoda Lewinsohn**: The original owners and builders of "Mawingo."
2. **Abraham Block**: Purchased in 1948 and turned the home into an inn.
3. **William Holden, Ray Ryan, and Carl Hirschmann**: Acquired the property in 1959, transforming it into the Mt Kenya Safari Club.
4. **Adnan Khashoggi**: Purchased the club in 1977, maintaining it as a luxurious retreat.
5. **Fairmont Hotels and Resorts**: The most recent owners, preserving the club's exclusivity and grandeur.

Sir Winston Chruchill, Prince Berhard of the Netherlands, Lord Louis Mountbatten, author Robert Ruark, former US President Lyndon B. Johnson, Conrad Hilton, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, His Royal Highness the Aga Khan, President El Haj Omar Bongo of Gabon, President Gafaar Numeiri of the Sudan, Members of the Saudi Arabian Royal family, KRH Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz and Mrs. Anwar Sadat, President Daniel Arap Moi