Profile of James Ng'ang'a: Business empire, jail term, marriage & controversies

Apostle James Maina Ng'ang'a of Neno Evangelism Centre is a Kenyan pastor, televangelist, and musician, and businessman who needs little introduction going by his fame.

Known for his fiery sermons, giving his bold take on a wide range of issues and dramatic leadership at his church, Apostle Ng’ang’a who goes by the moniker "Commander in Chief," has single-handedly founded and grown one of the biggest churches in the country.

From serving a jail term to becoming an influential preacher and a thriving businessman with assets spread across various sectors, his story is one of from grass to grace.

Early life & brushes with the law

He was born as the fifth born child in a large family of nine children (seven boys and two girls) in 1952.

READ: Pastor Ng’ang’a says Neno Evangelism is not a church – Here’s why

Coming from a humble background with frequent incarcerations, his educational journey was very brief and challenging.

Soon after dropping out of school, young Nganga got involved in criminal activities that earned him a court cases and a place in Kenya’s correctional facilities.

His first brush with the law was in 1972 when he was arrested and handed a six-month jail term. He was in and out of prison in the subsequent years and served his last a jail term at Shimo la Tewa Prison.

It is while in prison that Ng’ang’a claims to have had an encounter with Christ that saw him embrace salvation.

Life after prison & the birth of Neno Evangelism Centre

He exited prison in 1992, after a confessing to his crimes before a female judge and receiving a reduced sentence.

Serving his term behind bars was profound experience that altered the course of his life and marked the birth of a thriving evangelism mission with thousands of followers.

He frequently refers to his past in his sermons, boldly sharing his experience with his congregation finding inspiration in his remarkable transformation from a criminal to a preacher living a lavish lifestyle.

Upon leaving prison, Ng’ang’a started off as a street preacher in Mombasa where his congregation grew steadily.

READ: Was Pastor Ng’ang’a slapping incident faked? Its effects & what victim received

It is in the coastal city that he founded Neno Evangelism Centre in 1992, ushering him into the world of evangelism.

As the congregation grew, and fuelled by the desire to reach a wider audience, Ng’ang’a relocated to Nairobi and established the headquarters of his Neno Evangelism Center along Haile Selassie Avenue, in the Railways area with branches spread in different parts of the country.

Dramatic leadership & fiery sermons

While most preachers prefer a different approach, the self-styled preacher has embraced a bold and direct approach to addressing issues and ministering to his followers.

His sermons feature unfiltered truths, his bold take on various issues and reprimanding his congregants during sermons and sometimes outrightly declining to come to the rescue of congregants facing financial difficulties.

Nothing is off the table for the preacher with a penchant for the finest things in life who once spread out tithes and offerings on the floor of the church and castigated the congregation for giving too little.

Business empire

He ranks among the wealthiest preachers in the country with a business empire valued in millions.

READ: Ng'ang'a demands Benny Hinn to refund money for lying about Kenya’s righteousness

He also owns a fleet of high-end luxury vehicles and palatial homes and going by his own words, is on course to joining the exclusive club of Kenyans who own planes.

Apart from owning one of the largest churches in the country, the preacher owns a posh hotel, a car dealership, a large farm in Kajiado named Jerusalem City, TV and radio stations as well as other business and property valued in millions.

The “Commander in Chief” is married to Murugi Ng’ang’a, his second wife, whom he married in 2012 in a glamorous wedding that was graced by Kalonzo Musyoka who was Kenya’s Vice President at the time.