Pastor James Ng'ang'a Ordered to Pay Former Worker Sh300,000 for Unfair Dismissal

A Nairobi court has ordered Pastor James Ng’ang’a of Neno Evangelism Center to pay a former worker Sh300,000 for unfair dismissal.

Christopher Kinama, who worked as the church’s caretaker, was unceremoniously fired by Pastor Ng’ang’a in 2017 following a dispute over car parking fees collection.

Kinama sued Ng’ang’a and the church seeking compensation for wrongful dismissal, with the court ruling in his favor.

On Friday, Justice Maureen Onyango of the Employment and Labor Relations Court ruled that the complainant was unfairly dismissed and awarded him Sh300,000.

The judge noted that Ng’ang’a and the church gave contradictory statements in their submission to the court. The church claimed it recalled Kinama on November 18th, 2016, yet he was fired on January 25th, 2017.
 
“With utmost respect to apostle James Ng’ang’a, the author of the said letter, I am not convinced that it was humanly possible for him to predict that such events would take place and write the letter in advance.”

“I have carefully perused the said letter. It is dated November 18th, 2016. As indicated in the pleadings, the events that led to the claimant’s termination occurred on January 25th, 2017,” Justice Onyango said.

Kinama was employed by the church as a caretaker in 2007, earning Sh8,000 per month. At the time of his dismissal, he was taking home Sh15,000.