Renowned televangelist, Bishop Gilbert Deya, known for his controversial miracle babies saga, has died following a road accident that occurred along the Kisumu–Bondo highway.
While confirming his death on Tuesday evening, Nyanza Region Traffic Commander Peter Maina revealed that the preacher passed away in a multiple-vehicle crash involving a Moi University school bus, a Siaya County Government vehicle, and Deya's car.
According to Maina, Deya was driving his Toyota Noah from Kisian in Kisumu County to Bondo when he lost control and rammed into an oncoming bus.
During the sequence of events, the bus attempted to swerve off the road, only to be hit from behind by a Toyota Fortuner belonging to the Siaya County Government.
A police report further indicated that Deya's vehicle had two other passengers, one of whom was believed to be his wife.
Consequently, at least 30 Moi University students sustained injuries, with the Nyanza police boss stating that 15 of the students sustained serious injuries, while the rest sustained minor injuries.
Bishop Deya's body was taken to the Kombewa Sub-County Hospital Mortuary, while the injured were rushed to various hospitals within Siaya and Kisumu counties.
Authorities have since launched a probe to establish the exact cause of the accident, with the wreckage of the vehicle towed to the area police station.
Deya's 'Miracle Babies' Controversy
Deya's tragic death came two years after he was acquitted of a decade-long case in which he was accused of allegedly participating in a child trafficking saga.
He rose to fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s after he relocated to the United Kingdom, where he founded evangelical ministries in the cities of London and Liverpool.
During his ministerial service, he claimed that women who are infertile or in menopause could still bear a child through the power of prayer, despite their condition.
His ministry was, however, marred by controversy after investigations linked him to a child trafficking case. It was during the investigations that he was extradited to Kenya to face charges.
In July 2023, he was acquitted after the judge ruled that the prosecution had failed to provide sufficient evidence to substantiate five child theft cases he had been charged with.
