Kenyan ‘miracle babies’ pastor dies in road crash
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Controversial Kenyan Televangelist Gilbert Deya Dies in Road Crash
Kisumu, Kenya – Notorious televangelist Gilbert Deya, best known for claiming to deliver “miracle babies” to infertile couples through prayer, has died in a road accident near Kisumu in western Kenya.
Police confirmed that Deya, 72, died on the spot on Tuesday evening when his vehicle collided with a university bus and another car. The crash, which occurred near the town of Kisumu, also left at least 30 people injured, including Deya’s wife and 15 students from the bus.
Siaya County Governor James Orengo expressed his condolences, saying he received news of the “horrific” accident with “deep sorrow and regret.” He confirmed that one of the vehicles involved belonged to the county government. Images shared online show the mangled remains of the vehicles involved.
A Scandalous Legacy
Deya rose to fame in the early 2000s after claiming he could help infertile women conceive through prayer at his UK-based church, Gilbert Deya Ministries. The ministry operated in both the UK and Africa and was registered as a charity.
But his so-called miracles were later exposed as a cover for a child-trafficking ring, according to Kenyan prosecutors. Women, some post-menopausal, were told they were pregnant and would “give birth” in Nairobi backstreet clinics. Authorities later claimed the babies were stolen from poor families and presented as miraculous births.
In 2017, Deya was extradited from the UK to Kenya after a decade-long legal battle. He faced charges related to child theft but was acquitted in 2023 due to lack of evidence.
Controversy in the UK
Deya’s UK operations were also fraught with controversy. The UK Charity Commission investigated his ministry for selling olive oil labeled with false healing claims, and multiple reports surfaced of vulnerable people being exploited.
In Parliament, then-MP David Lammy described Deya as a “modern-day snake-oil salesman” who had deceived his followers.
Family and Fallout
His then-wife, Mary Deya, was convicted in 2011 for stealing a baby from Nairobi’s main referral hospital. Deya later testified in court that they had divorced following her conviction, stating that she had “tarnished” his name.
More recently, Deya appeared on YouTube with a new wife, Diana Deya, continuing his religious outreach even after the public scandals.
Faith and Denial
In a 2014 BBC investigation, when asked how babies supposedly born to infertile women were found to have different DNA than their “parents,” Deya dismissed the science, stating:
“It is beyond human imagination… They are of God and things of God cannot be explained by a human being.”
Despite years of scrutiny, Deya maintained his innocence and remained active in ministry until his death at age 72.
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