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Gilbert Juma Deya was a Kenyan-born televangelist and founder of Gilbert Deya Ministries, a UK-based evangelical church best known for its controversial claims around the birth of "miracle babies."
Deya gained international notoriety for his alleged involvement in child trafficking, religious manipulation, and the sale of fake miracle products.
Despite numerous legal challenges and intense public scrutiny, he maintained a following both in Kenya and among African diaspora communities in the UK.
Early life of Gilbert Deya
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Gilbert Deya was born on February 2, 1937, in Juja, Kiambu County, Kenya, as the eleventh of fifteen.
His father, Samuel Oyanda Deya, was a sisal plantation worker originally from Bondo, while his mother, Monica Nono Deya, had resisted an arranged marriage with Samuel.
In his youth, he relocated to Jinja, Kampala, Uganda, where he worked as a porter before finding a calling in preaching.
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Gilbert Deya's career
Deya began his ministry work in the 1970s. In 1976, he founded the Salvation of Jesus Christ Church in Kenya and was ordained by the United Evangelical Church of Kenya. He adopted the title of âArchbishopâ and gained a reputation as a powerful preacher.
In 1997, Deya relocated to the United Kingdom, where he established Gilbert Deya Ministries in Peckham, southeast London.
The church attracted large congregations, particularly among African immigrants. Deyaâs ministry promised not only spiritual guidance but also miraculous interventions, most famously the birth of babies to infertile or post-menopausal women.
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Personal life
At the age of 21, Deya married Mary Anyango, who was 14 at the time. Mary, later known as Eddah Deya, played a key role in the ministry before facing her legal troubles. The couple later divorced following her conviction.
Despite his public persona, Deyaâs personal life was marked by rifts and challenges. His mother and sister-in-law, however, publicly defended him, citing his contributions to the family, such as building a permanent house for his mother in Bondo.
Gilbert Deya
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Controversies Gilbert Deya faced
Miracle babies scandal (1999â2004)
Gilbert Deya rose to global infamy for claiming he could enable infertile women to give birth through the power of prayer.
His followers were encouraged to travel to Kenya, where they reportedly gave birth under questionable circumstances.
Investigations in Kenya and the UK revealed that the so-called miracle babies were stolen from hospitals such as Pumwani Maternity and Kenyatta National Hospital.
DNA tests showed no genetic link between the babies and the women claiming them. At least ten children were found in Deyaâs Nairobi residence without legal documentation or familial ties.
In 2004, his wife Mary Deya was arrested and later convicted of child theft.
Deya himself was arrested in London in 2006, and after fighting extradition for over a decade, was sent to Kenya in 2017.
Prison time in UK and Kenya
Deya served time in prison in both the United Kingdom and Kenya.
In mid-2017, he was detained for approximately three months at Woolwich Prison in London after losing his final appeal against extradition.
After being flown to Kenya on August 4, 2017, Deya was remanded at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison. He remained at Kamiti for around nine months before being released on bail in 2018, set at Sh10 million.
In July 2023, he was acquitted of all charges due to insufficient evidence.
A former associate, Rose Atieno Kiserem, publicly confessed that the miracle babies were a hoax orchestrated by Deya.
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Miracle cure and financial exploitation
Deya was accused of selling olive oil bought cheaply from supermarkets as a cure for cancer and HIV/AIDS. UK media watchdog Ofcom reprimanded his ministry for misleading claims on TV.
Additionally, the ministry allegedly raised funds through the sale of products like 'miracle' handkerchiefs and coercive donations in 2007. A 2011 report by the UK Charity Commission investigated the church's finances but did not shut it down.
While Deya faced allegations of sexual abuse in London, he was acquitted. However, the accusations further tarnished his credibility.
Deya died in a road accident at Namba Kapiyo along the Kisumu-Bondo Road on June 17, 2025.