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He claimed that those church leaders who dared to tell the truth to power ended up having their churches closed.
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Ng'ang'a said as a man of God he must speak the truth.
Image: FILE
Apostle James Maina Ng'ang'a has slammed the government for what he termed as "overburdening Kenyans with tax hikes".
Ng'ang'a spoke on Thursday during a live church service that was held at Neno Evangelism in Nairobi.
He claimed that those church leaders who dared to tell the truth to power ended up having their churches closed.
Ng'ang'a said as a man of God he must speak the truth, daring the government to close his church if they wish to.
"Sometimes you are misleading this nation. Naongea kama mtume. Uchumi ni mbaya na mnatumia hizo pesa vile mnataka. Mnapandisha uchumi huku, mnaongezea pesa huku, na mtu akiwaambia mnafunga kanisa. Si mkuje mfunge hii yangu!," the apostle said.
(I speak as a servant of God. The economy is bad yet you are using state money as you wish. You keep hiking taxes and when someone calls you out you close their church. You can come and close mine.)
Ng'ang'a said the taxes Kenyans are currently paying are too much.
"Na nikihubiri nitaongea na nitasema what is right. I will speak what is right. I swear before God. Some of you guys are misleading this nation, na chuma kiko jikoni, chuma kiko jikoni," the pastor said.
"Naongea kama mtume. Huyu Mungu mnacheza na yeye atawatoa kwa jiko."
Ng'ang'a's comment comes days after the National Treasury proposed the introduction of more taxes.
In a Draft Medium-term Debt Strategy for the period 2024-25 and 2026-27, the National Treasury proposes a raft of major tax changes.
The draft proposed an increase in VAT from 16 per cent to 18 per cent.
It has also proposed an increase in exercise duty on spirits and higher alcohol content products to discourage their consumption as they pose higher health risks.
Treasury is also proposing to put alcoholic beverages and cigarettes on the radar again with excise duty after a short reprieve.
Excise rate for filtered cigarettes, non-filtered cigarettes and other tobacco products will be harmonised while excise duty on alcohol will be pegged on alcohol content
The taxation of alcoholic products is based on various criteria including, consumer behaviour, value of the product and the volume of consumption as well as alcohol content.
"To streamline the taxation of alcoholic products, over the strategy period, the government will review the basis of taxation to the alcoholic content of the product taking into consideration the harmonisation with EAC region," the proposals read.
The National Treasury said it will take into account international best practices and promote fairness.
"Given the negative health externalities of these products, the rates will be based on the extent of the externalities of these products as well as recommendations of the ongoing EAC partners states study," the treasury says.
Kenyans have until October 6, 2023, to submit comments on the proposals from Treasury.