Controversial televangelist Gilbert Deya of ‘miracle babies’ saga dies in Kisumu road crash

Controversial televangelist Bishop Gilbert Deya, widely known for his involvement in the infamous ‘miracle babies’ saga, has died in a road crash on the Kisumu-Bondo highway—just a year after being acquitted in a high-profile child theft case.

According to Nyanza Region Traffic Commander Peter Maina, the crash involved three vehicles: a school bus belonging to Moi University, a Toyota Fortuner owned by the county government of Siaya, and a Toyota Noah, which Deya was driving.

The crash occurred at the Namba-Kapiyo area.

Maina explained that Deya's Toyota Noah, heading from Kisian towards Bondo, rammed into the oncoming school bus after he lost control of it.

In an attempt to avoid a direct collision, the bus driver swerved but rolled off the road.

The county government’s Toyota Fortuner, which was trailing the bus, was struck during the sequence of events.

Minor injuries

“The deceased, Bishop Gilbert Deya, was driving the Toyota Noah and had two female passengers, believed to be his wife and another woman, who sustained minor injuries,” Maina said.

In total, 31 people were affected.

“One fatality, 15 students with serious injuries, and 15 with minor injuries,” he added.

The injured were rushed to Kombewa Sub-County Hospital, while three victims in critical condition were transferred to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital.

Deya’s body was reportedly taken to the Kombewa Hospital mortuary. Authorities have since launched investigations into the cause of the accident.

Child theft

Deya's death marks the end of a decades-long saga for the 86-year-old preacher, whose name was associated with one of the most bizarre child theft cases in Kenya’s history.

Deya, a former stonemason who relocated to the United Kingdom in the 1990s, founded evangelical ministries in London, Liverpool and Nottingham.

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He gained international notoriety for claiming that infertile or menopausal women could conceive in under four months without sexual intercourse, through the power of prayer.

However, his claims were mired in controversy after investigations linked him and his ministry to the theft of babies from maternity wards, particularly from Pumwani Hospital in Nairobi.

He was accused of stealing five children between 1999 and 2004 and extradited from the UK in August 2017 to face charges in Kenya following a nearly ten-year legal battle.

Acquitted

On July 17, 2023, Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Robison Ondieki acquitted Deya, ruling that the prosecution had failed to provide sufficient evidence to sustain the five child theft charges.

“The charges were fabricated and could not be brought before a court,” Deya’s lawyer, John Swaka, said at the time, adding that his client was “very happy” with the outcome.

Swaka argued that the prosecution’s case was built on inconclusive and inconsistent evidence that could not support a safe and secure conviction.

Deya’s wife, Mary, who had also faced similar charges, was likewise set free.

Speaking to the media following his acquittal, Deya said, “The case tainted my name… but I’m happy that I’m going back to the ministry. I’m happy that I’ve been acquitted.”

He also stated that he had forgiven those who had “persecuted” him and announced plans to return to the UK to resume his evangelical work.

The news of his sudden death closes a controversial chapter in Kenya’s religious and judicial history, one marked by sensational claims, cross-border legal battles, and a courtroom drama that spanned nearly two decades.