Pastor Ng’ang’a: My drugs history helps me understand when someone is high

Neno Evangelism head preacher Pastor James Maina Ng’ang’a has opened up about his troubled past before finding salvation, recalling years of drug abuse, crime and repeated arrests, while noting that the experience has sharpened his ability to identify when someone is intoxicated.

Speaking when he took his revival crusades to Mbeere, Embu county on Saturday, September 13, 2025, Ng’ang’a recounted how he indulged in bhang, miraa and alcohol, admitting that his lifestyle was marked by heavy consumption of chang’aa, a potent local brew.

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He said his days were spent in the company of peers, consuming drugs and liquor until they were completely high.

“I used to smoke bhang. I chewed miraa, and I am surprised that some of you have never chewed it. I used to chew it until it would even swell out of my mouth. I also smoked bhang and drank alcohol, especially chang’aa, the strong one that even catches fire,” he said.

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Ng’ang’a revealed that the extent of his indulgence was so severe that even his physical appearance would betray his excessive chewing of miraa.

He explained that the constant abuse of these substances, coupled with his involvement in crime, pushed him into situations where he often carried weapons, including guns, without raising suspicion.

He said that because of this past, he has developed a keen sense that allows him to detect when someone is under the influence, something he claimed many modern preachers are unable to recognise. According to him, his unique background has given him the ability to understand the behaviours of people who are high.

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“I even carried a gun, and you would never have known. We would sit together and take all these things, bhang, miraa and alcohol, until they completely overwhelmed us and we became very high. That is why today I can easily tell when a person is high and their mind has been overtaken. I do not know if today’s preachers can actually notice when someone is high. Do you really know?”

Prison

The preacher also spoke about his brushes with the law, recalling how he moved in and out of prison during his youth.

He narrated that at one point, he had up to five active court cases, and after being released from jail on a Friday, he found himself back in court by Tuesday of the following week.

He said one such remand period lasted nine months.

“When Jesus came into my life, I left all that behind, although I also went through prison. I remember I was released from jail on a Friday, and by Tuesday of the next week, I was back in court again. At one time, I even had five cases running. I was remanded for nine months.”

Ng’ang’a, who is now 72 years old, said his life turned around after accepting Christ, insisting that Jesus Christ had the power to transform even the most hardened lives.

He described his journey from prison and drug addiction to the pulpit as a testimony of divine intervention, urging his followers to trust that the same grace could change their own lives.

“But when Jesus Christ, whom I now preach, comes into your life, He will change you. I am now 72 years old, and I can testify that He will bless you and use you,” he said.