Controversial preacher Pastor James Ng’an’ga has put forward a bold proposition to the government: he is willing to sell the piece of land housing his Neno Evangelism Centre church for a whopping Sh200 billion.
Addressing reporters outside Parliament grounds on Thursday after appearing before the House’s Departmental Committee on Lands, Ng’ang’a reiterated his claim of ownership of the contested land while accusing the government of attempting to unlawfully seize it.
“They are attacking the church, but not this one. This matter arose because I have all the rightful claims. Ksh. 42 million is a significant amount… we paid it,” he asserted, referring to the alleged purchase price of the land. “I have brought my documents, and if the government wants to buy it, come and tell me… I want 200 billion… negotiate with me.”
The land in question, located at the intersection of Haile Selassie Avenue and Uhuru Highway, is one of several properties being investigated by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) due to disputes over ownership with the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC).
During his appearance before the Lands Committee, Ng’ang’a recounted the acquisition process of the land after it was initially offered for sale by the government in 2004.
“I began my ministry in Mombasa before moving to Nairobi. In 2004, I noticed a ‘land for sale’ sign from CBK. Upon inquiry, they quoted a price of Ksh. 32 million, with a requirement to pay 10% upfront and the remainder within 90 days,” he explained.
Subsequently, Ng’ang’a stated that the land was put up for sale again, prompting him to reapply and eventually purchase it for Ksh. 42 million.
“We signed the agreement, and Equity Bank helped me pay the amount. I cleared the loan by around 2008 and was granted the title deed under the name ‘Neno Evangelism Centre,’” he elaborated.
However, ownership disputes arose years later when Ng’ang’a received a notice from Kenya Railways Corporation in 2020, expressing their intention to reclaim the land.
“I informed them that I had obtained the title deed from the Central Bank,” he recounted.
Ng’ang’a mentioned 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 was transferred to the Central Bank after its collapse.
In response to Ng’ang’a’s assertions, the lands committee granted him a 14-day period to submit all supporting documents validating his ownership of the disputed parcel.
