Apostle James Ng’ang’a has revealed that he purchased the land hosting his Neno Evangelism Centre church for Kes.42 million from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).
The land, situated at the intersection of Haile Selassie Avenue and Uhuru Highway, is among several parcels currently under investigation by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) over allegations of belonging to the Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC).
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During his appearance before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Lands on Thursday, Ng’ang’a recounted how he acquired the land in 2004.
“I started preaching in Mombasa before later coming to Nairobi. In 2004, I saw a ‘land for sale’ sign from CBK, when I went to inquire about it they told me the price was Ksh.32 million, but they told me to pay 10% and the rest within 90 days,” he submitted.
The televangelist stated that shortly thereafter, the land was put up for sale again, compelling him to reapply and ultimately purchase the land for Kes.42 million, with Equity Bank facilitating the acquisition.
“We signed the agreement and Equity helped me pay the amount. I finished paying the loan around 2008 and I was given the title under the name Neno Evangelism Centre,” the preacher said.
Notice of Land Reclamation
Pastor Ng’ang’a mentioned that he would later receive a letter from Kenya Railways Corporation in 2020, notifying him of their intention to reclaim the land.
“I informed them that I had purchased the title deed from the Central Bank,” he said.
He further 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 address the issue and clarify matters.
“I showed them all the supporting documents and they said ‘We don’t have this in our records’ and I was never called again,” said the preacher.
Ng’ang’a also informed the committee that prior to the purchase, he conducted a thorough search through the Nairobi City Council records. He discovered that the land was originally owned by Kenya Finance Bank, but ownership transferred to the Central Bank after the former collapsed.
As a result, the lands committee granted the preacher a 14-day period to submit all supporting documents regarding the ownership of the disputed parcel.
