Controversial Pastor James Ng'ang'a of Neno Evangelism Accused of Conning Businessman Out of Sh3.6 Million

Controversial pastor James Maina Ng’ang’a of Neno Evangelism has been accused of defrauding a Nairobi businessman of Sh3.6 million. 

City businessman Wickson Njoroge Mwathi says Ng'ang'a has refused to refund Sh3.6 million he had paid him in an abortive house lease agreement in 2016.

Njoroge said the televangelist refused to honor the agreement soon after receiving the amount from him. Mwathi says Ng’ang’a was a proprietor of a 7-bedroom house in Karen where his four visitors including two Germans, one Chinese and a Korean planned to stay for six months.

The preacher agreed to lease the house to Njoroge but demanded the entire six-moth rent in lump sum and an additional Sh900,000 as deposit. The house's monthly rent was Sh450,000.

After receiving the Sh 3.6 million, Njoroge says Ng’ang’a refused to surrender keys to the residence and also declined to return the amount paid.

“After two weeks of trying to get the keys from Ng’ang’a, my guests got tired of staying in a hotel and returned abroad,” says the real estate contractor.

 “My clients were certain that as soon as they land at the airport, I would take them straight to their house in Karen. But every time I went there, the security guard would inform me that he had not been given permission to allow me in,” says Njoroge.

Njoroge says he reported the matter to Central Police Station in Nairobi and the case was booked with reference OB 50/20/5/17, but police have been reluctant to pursue Ng'ang'a.

The contractor claims some officers told him that Ng’ang’a bragged that “the matter will go nowhere”. Contacted for a comment over the matter, the televangelist accused the contractor of telling lies.

“The man is lying, he was given the key to the house by the agent and I don’t know what went on after that."

"I learnt later that the Chinese who were supposed to live in the house were wanted criminals who fled the country on realizing they were on a police watch list,” Ng’ang’a told The Nairobian.

Ng’ang’a says only the deposit can be refunded to Njoroge since the rent paid had been utilized and that the only solution was for Njoroge to occupy the house for six months.