Bishop Gilbert Deya's next plans after being acquitted of child theft charges

Bishop Gilbert Deya, was on Monday, July 17 acquitted of five child theft charges by a Nairobi court.

Speaking to the media after the ruling, he shared his future plans and expressed a sense of relief and gratitude.

The bishop said he has forgiven those who accused him, and revealed his intention to return to the UK and resume his ministry.

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While acknowledging the damage caused to his reputation by the case, Deya remained positive about the future.

"The case tinted my name ...but I'm happy that I'm going back to the ministry...I'm happy that I've been acquitted," he spoke.

Having been deported from the UK to Kenya in August 2017 Deya faced accusations of stealing five children.

READ: 10 controversial things you didn't know about Gilbert Deya

However, the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence to support their claims, leading to Deya's acquittal.

During the trial, Deya's lawyer, John Swaka, successfully argued that the prosecution's evidence was riddled with inconsistencies and inconclusive discrepancies. This line of defense ultimately resulted in Deya's exoneration.

Televangelist Gilbert Deya with a police officer. ece-auto-gen

Bishop Gilbert Deya's background

Deya was born on February 2, 1937, in Juja, Kiambu County, outside of Nairobi. He was the eleventh child in a family of fifteen children.

He was ordained by the United Evangelical Church of Kenya and styles himself as an "Archbishop"

Deya was an evangelist in Kenya in the late 1980s to early 1990s before moving to the UK, where he established Gilbert Deya Ministries in 1997.

The ministry had church services at rented and owned buildings in Liverpool, London, Birmingham, Nottingham, Luton, Reading, Manchester, and Sheffield.

Deya's wife was arrested in November 2004 in connection with child trafficking allegations.

She was accused of stealing five children from the Pumwani Maternity Hospital in Nairobi and taking them to the UK

Deya himself was arrested in the UK in 2006 and charged with child trafficking. He was extradited to Kenya in 2017 to face charges of stealing five children.