Controversial preacher Pastor James Ng’an’ga has made headlines by expressing his readiness to sell the land hosting his Neno Evangelism Centre church to the government for a staggering Ksh. 200 billion.
Speaking outside Parliament grounds after appearing before the House’s Departmental Committee on Lands, Ng’ang’a reiterated his ownership of the contentious land while accusing the government of attempting to unlawfully acquire it.
“Wanapiga kanisa lakini sio hii watapiga. Hii ilienda kwa sababu niko na rights zote. Ksh. 42 million that is a lot of money… tukalipa,” he asserted, referring to the sum he claims to have paid for the land. “Nimeleta makaratasi yangu na kama mnataka nyinyi kama government, njoo mniambie niwauzie…nataka 200 billion…muichukue kwa njia ya kuongea.”
The parcel, located at the intersection of Haile Selassie Avenue and Uhuru Highway, is under scrutiny by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) amidst allegations of ownership disputes with the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC).
During his appearance before the Lands Committee, Ng’ang’a detailed the acquisition process of the land after it was initially put up for sale by the government in 2004.
“I started preaching in Mombasa before relocating to Nairobi. In 2004, I noticed a ‘land for sale’ sign from CBK. When I inquired about it, they quoted a price of Ksh. 32 million, with the condition to pay 10% upfront and the remainder within 90 days,” he explained.
Following a re-listing of the land for sale, Ng’ang’a reapplied and ultimately purchased it for Ksh. 42 million.
“We signed the agreement, and Equity Bank assisted me in paying the amount. I cleared the loan by around 2008 and was granted the title deed under the name ‘Neno Evangelism Centre,'” he elaborated.
However, disputes over ownership arose years later when Ng’ang’a received a notification from Kenya Railways Corporation in 2020, expressing their intention to reclaim the land.
“I informed them that I had acquired the title deed from the Central Bank,” he recounted.
Ng’ang’a stated that he was subsequently summoned by former Cabinet Secretary James Macharia and former Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) Director-General Maj-Gen Mohammed Badi to clarify the matter.
“I presented all the supporting documents, and they acknowledged, ‘We don’t have this in our records.’ After that, I was not contacted again,” he added.
Additionally, Ng’ang’a revealed that prior to the purchase, he conducted extensive research in Nairobi City Council records, discovering that Kenya Finance Bank initially owned the land, but ownership transferred to the Central Bank after its collapse.
In response to Ng’ang’a’s claims, the lands committee granted him a 14-day period to submit all supporting documents validating his ownership of the disputed parcel.
