Renowned Kenyan televangelist Bishop Gilbert Deya has tragically died following a road accident at Namba Kapiyo along the Kisumu – Bondo highway. The incident involved three vehicles: Deya’s Toyota Noah, a Moi University bus, and a Siaya County government vehicle.
According to Nyanza Regional Traffic Enforcement Officer Peter Maina, preliminary police reports indicate that Deya lost control of his vehicle, veering into the path of the university bus. In an attempt to avoid a head-on collision, the bus swerved and overturned, after which Deya’s vehicle collided with the county government vehicle.
“Deya died on the spot. Two passengers in his vehicle; his wife and another woman – sustained minor injuries. The televangelist’s body was taken to Kombewa Sub-County Hospital mortuary,” Maina confirmed, speaking to KBC journalist Wycliffe Oketch in Kisumu.
Maina also confirmed that the university bus was transporting students, 13 of whom sustained serious injuries. Three of these students were referred to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu for specialized treatment, while the remaining 13 received treatment for minor injuries at Kombewa Sub-County Hospital.
Police investigations into the accident are currently ongoing.
Bishop Deya gained national and international notoriety in the early 2000s due to the controversial “miracle babies” saga, in which he claimed to help infertile women conceive through prayer.
Investigations later revealed that many of the so-called miracle babies were victims of child trafficking. The bishop was arrested in the UK and extradited to Kenya in 2017 to face criminal charges.
He spent several years battling the allegations in court while maintaining his innocence.
Even as the legal cloud hung over him, Deya continued preaching through his Gilbert Deya Ministries, both locally and to his diaspora followers, attracting loyal congregants while remaining a polarizing figure in Kenya’s religious landscape.
