Pastor James Ng’ang’a, founder of Neno Evangelism Centre, is currently embroiled in a dispute with the Nairobi City Council regarding unpaid land rates amounting to Ksh10 million. The controversy centers on his church property located along Haile Selassie Avenue in Nairobi.

The Nairobi County Government has initiated a move on property owners with outstanding land rates, aiming to recover billions in unpaid dues.

Pastor Ng’ang’a’s church is among the properties listed for enforcement actions. In response, the pastor has challenged the county’s claims asserting that his church was granted a waiver on land rates during former governor Mike Sonko’s administration. He insists that this waiver has not been formally revoked and therefore remains valid.

In a video, pastor Ng’ang’a expressed his willingness to pay the Ksh10 million if the waiver is officially cancelled.

He emphasized that the amount is insignificant to him, stating. “Ksh10 million is nothing to me, even Ksh50 million is small. I could even give up one of my cars.” He further accused the county government of targeting religious institutions for revenue collection without proper communication.

Meanwhile, former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko has come to pastor Ng’ang’a’s defense, confirming that during his tenure, he issued an executive order granting land rate waivers to religious institutions, including churches.

However, Geoffrey Mosira, Nairobi County’s chief officer for environment has emphasized the importance of all property owners settling their dues to fund essential services such as waste management and road maintenance. He has stated that the county will take necessary actions, including property clamping and legal proceedings against defaulters.