Controversial Neno Evangelism founder Pastor James Maina Ng’ang’a is trending after posting a fiery video message directed at the Nairobi City Council.
In the video, the cleric declared he was ready to pay any outstanding land rates, boldly stating that even Ksh10 million or Ksh5 million meant nothing to him.
“City Council ya Nairobi, milioni kumi ni taka taka kwangu. Ata milioni tano ni taka taka kwangu, ata naweza peana gari yangu. Shamba mlipeleka kortini, ni sawa imefungwa. Mimi sijakataa kulipa,” he said.
Pastor Ng’ang’a compared his case to that of the Freemasons’ Hall, which was recently shut down by the Nairobi County Government over Ksh19 million in unpaid land rates.
He insisted he was not opposed to settling his dues and proposed a meeting on an unspecified Wednesday.
Ng’ang’a further claimed that former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko had granted him and other churches within the CBD a waiver on land rates.
“Kama wa devil worshipper wamekataa kulipa, mimi sijakataa kulipa… Sonko alitupea barua akasema ametupatia waiver. Nataka watu wa City Council msikize kwa makini. I have the papers,” he asserted.
The pastor argued that the county government had not issued any official communication to revoke the waiver granted during Sonko’s tenure.
“Tangu muingie hamjawahi tupatia barua ya kucancel hiyo. Mind your own business. Niandikie barua urevoke ile barua Sonko alitupea. Hauwezi nilipisha ile yenye Sonko alikuwa ametupea waiver,” he said.
Ng’ang’a added that he was prepared to pay the amount in either Kenyan shillings or US dollars and claimed to have had a prophetic vision involving Kenya’s flag hanging on a tree—a sign, he said, that the nation was in trouble.
“Tupatane Alhamisi, unilipishe—ukitaka cash nitakupea cash, ukitaka in dollars nitakupea dollars… Niliwaambia niliona bendera ya Kenya ikiwa juu ya mti. Manabii wa Mungu nawaambia muombee nchi sana,” he urged.
The viral video sparked a wave of humorous reactions on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
One user joked, “Nipewe hiyo takataka nikatupe,” while another quipped, “Alipe baas.”
Apostle James Ng’ang’a has previously been in the spotlight, with the latest controversy being that of him slapping a church member who had dozed off during a service.
In the viral clip, Ng’ang’a was seen walking from the pulpit to the front row, where the man was seated.
“Hii Kenya iko na mambo mingi sana, amka!” (“This Kenya has too many problems—wake up!”), he exclaimed before striking the man and ordering him to move to the back of the church, visibly upsetting him.
Ng’ang’a then turned to a woman seated beside the man, scolding her for failing to intervene. “Na wewe kwa nini analala hapa na unamwona?” (“And you, why is he sleeping here while you’re just watching?”), he demanded.
The video has sparked a wave of outrage online, with many calling on the preacher to issue a public apology, which he defied and instead maintained his stance on sleeping in church.