Neno Evangelism Centre founder Pastor James Ng’ang’a has taken a swipe at the Nairobi County government over alleged intimidation in the latest land rate crackdown.
The fiery pastor took to his social media to address City Hall, alleging the county government had embarked on a scheme to extort Ksh10 million under the guise of land rates.
According to Pastor Ng’ang’a, he had been handed a land rate waiver during the tenure of former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko - a waiver he claims still stands to date.
While claiming he had the documents to back his claims, the pastor argued that the current Nairobi County government had failed to issue any form of written and formal communication regarding pending land rates.
"I was given a letter by Mike Sonko, who gave us a waiver on churches in town. I have the papers. Since you came into office, you've never given us a letter to cancel it," the pastor insisted.
Pastor Ng’ang’a, whose church sits along Haile Selassie Avenue in Nairobi, went on to suggest that the county government's recent actions, including the closure of the Freemason hall earlier in the week, were politically motivated as part of a broader effort to squeeze out money from institutions.
"If the Freemasons have refused to pay, don't say I have refused to pay. If I have refused, come on Wednesday. That is the price of shoes," he added.
On Tuesday, the Nairobi County government closed down four buildings in the central business district over unpaid rent and threatened to close 20 more in the coming days.
At the time, Nairobi County's Receiver of Revenue, Tiras Njoroge, said the move seeks to recover billions of shillings in unpaid land rates, noting that those affected have failed to honour their part despite the county giving them time to show goodwill in paying the arrears.
According to county records, the situation is dire. Of the approximately 256,000 registered land parcels in Nairobi, only 50,000 are currently paying land rates, representing an alarming compliance rate of just 20 per cent.
With Pastor Ng’ang’a's church seemingly among the buildings set to be affected by the crackdown, the vocal preacher challenged the Nairobi County leadership to formally revoke the waiver if they expect him to pay under the new terms.
"Write me a letter cancelling the waiver given by Mike Sonko, who was the governor. I've not declined to pay. Write me a letter saying you've revoked the waiver. You charge me your own rates through a letter. If you want cash, I'll give you cash," he went on.
