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Preacher Gilbert Deya has died following a road accident at Namba Kapiyo along the Kisumu-Bondo Road.
Nyanza Regional Traffic Enforcement Officer Peter Maina confirmed the incident, which occurred on Tuesday.
According to police, Deya was travelling when the accident happened at the notorious blackspot on the highway, though details about what led to the crash remain scanty.
Gilbert Deya
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Officers at the scene said they are conducting further investigations to establish the cause of the fatal crash.
Gilbert Deya gained national and international notoriety in the early 2000s through a controversial ministry in the UK, which was linked to what was dubbed the "miracle babies" saga.
He was later extradited to Kenya to face child trafficking charges.
More updates are expected as authorities continue to gather details about the accident.
Who was Gilbert Deya?
Gilbert Juma Deya was a Kenyan-born preacher and televangelist who gained notoriety in the early 2000s through his ministry, the Gilbert Deya Ministries, which was based in the United Kingdom.
Deya moved to the UK in the 1990s, where he established a large following, particularly among African immigrants.
His ministry became controversial after allegations surfaced that he and his church were involved in a child-trafficking ring linked to the so-called "miracle babies" scandal.
Gilbert Deya
According to investigations by British and Kenyan authorities, Deya and his followers claimed that infertile women could miraculously conceive and deliver babies through prayer.
However, UK and Kenyan officials alleged that babies were stolen from hospitals and trafficked to desperate women seeking help at Deya’s church.
In 2006, Deya was arrested by British police following a request for extradition by the Kenyan government. After a lengthy legal battle in the UK courts, he was extradited to Kenya in 2017 to face child trafficking charges.
Throughout the scandal and subsequent court cases, Deya maintained his innocence, claiming he was the target of a smear campaign. He was jailed in Kamiti Maximum Security Prison for 17 years.
Before the controversy, Deya had humble beginnings in Kenya. Born in Juja, Kiambu County, in 1952, he started as a carpenter and later became a preacher.
He founded the Gilbert Deya Ministries in the early 1990s, building a name for himself as a charismatic pastor and faith healer.