Project News

Churches Push Faith to New Heights With Mega City Plans

The faith-based cities are meant to foster worship and fellowship.

Updated on

January 18, 2024

Willow Creek Church — A mega-church in South Barrington, Illinois. (PHOTO / WCCC)

Kenyan churches are taking their faith to the next level with big announcements of plans to build divine megacities to meet the needs of their congregations.

Unlike years ago, when churches only invested in schools, colleges, and hospitals, houses of worship are now taking a keen interest in the local real estate market.

Jerusalem City

For example, Apostle James Ng’ang’a of the Neno Evangelism Centre is building what he calls Jerusalem City – a 50-acre estate in Nkatatei, Kajiado County, less than 20 kilometres from the Kenya-Tanzania border.

The development, which will be completed in about 10 years, will include a megachurch, shopping mall, hotel, bank, school, and a college or university.

“I bought this land three years ago and I am constructing a big church here and already I have 70 children who are going to school in grades 1-4. I also give them food, uniform, and shoes,” Apostle Ng’ang’a said in an interview.

The Apostle says he has upgraded a 1.5km road leading to Jerusalem City and sunk three boreholes to supply residents with water for domestic use.

Majestic City

As this unfolds, Bishop Mark Kariuki of Deliverance Church has unveiled big plans for a multi-billion-shilling estate that will add glamour to Nairobi’s Ruai estate.

Dubbed Majestic City, the mixed-use development that was unveiled on Feb. 5, 2023, in an event graced by President William Ruto will include 1,500 affordable homes as well as various modern amenities including schools and hospitals.

“The vision is expanding fully equipped modern hospitals with various treatment functions, a four-level shopping mall with fully equipped conference halls, an auditorium, and a rooftop restaurant,” the Deliverance Church said.

Majestic City will also include one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, and a school offering “high-quality learning for primary and kindergarten pupils”.

President Ruto has assured Bishop Kariuki of his support to make the vision a reality.

“I will support you in looking for investors to help you,” he said.

Kingdom City

In Nakuru, Apostle John Kimani William of Kingdom Seekers Fellowship has broken ground on a new city that is expected to be the largest of its kind in Kenya.

Dubbed Kingdom City, the faith-based development sitting on more than 300 acres near Lanet will include a mega-church complex, schools, hospitals, and recreational facilities for the fellowship’s growing number of congregants.

The multi-billion-shilling project, which will be fully funded by the Nakuru-based church, will be implemented in phases over several years.

Mavueni City

In Kilifi County, Pastor Ezekiel Odero of Newlife Church is building a 65-acre estate that has wowed the residents of Mavueni village.

The estate is designed to host several hotels, a hospital, a rehabilitation centre, a shopping mall, residential houses, an international school, and a university.

One of the hotels is nearing completion.

Although the development of estates by Kenyan churches is a relatively new phenomenon, houses of worship have in the past decade ventured into the construction of mega-churches to serve their members.

However, in recent years, some notable church projects have failed to kick off due to a myriad of issues ranging from land ownership wrangles to lack of funds.

JIAM City

Jesus is Alive Ministries (JIAM), for example, has been unable to break ground on its much-publicized JIAM City in Nairobi nearly a decade after it was announced.

JIAM City was to include two towers on either side of Haile Selassie Avenue – connected by a bridge that would offer visitors scenic views of Nairobi’s skyline.

There have been no recent reports on the project.

Similarly, Jesus Winner Ministry had also announced plans to build a mega-church complex with a capacity of more than 10,000 worshippers at Roysambu, Nairobi.

The multi-billion-shilling project was to include a 12-storey building, a conference center, a media studio, a counseling center, a youth center, and a medical center.

The project is yet to kick off several years later.