Controversial Pastor Gilbert Deya Dies in Fatal Road Crash on Kisumu-Bondo Highway

Multi-vehicle collision leaves 30 others injured; victims rushed to local hospitals

SIAYA COUNTY, Kenya – Bishop Gilbert Deya, the controversial religious leader once at the center of international “miracle babies” scandal, died Monday evening in a tragic road accident along the Bondo-Kisian highway that left 30 others injured.

The fatal three-vehicle collision occurred at the Namba-Kapiyo area, involving a Moi University school bus, a Toyota Fortuner belonging to Siaya County Government, and Deya’s Toyota Noah.

According to Nyanza Traffic Boss Peter Maina, Deya was driving the Toyota Noah from Kisian toward Bondo when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the oncoming school bus heading to Kisumu.

The bus driver, attempting to avoid a head-on collision, swerved off the road and rolled over. A trailing county government vehicle was subsequently struck in the chain reaction.

“The deceased, Bishop Gilbert Deya, was driving the Toyota Noah and had two female passengers, believed to be his wife and another woman, who sustained minor injuries,” Maina confirmed.

Among the casualties, 15 university students aboard the school bus suffered serious injuries, while another 15 sustained minor injuries. The two female passengers in Deya’s vehicle were treated for minor injuries at the scene.

Emergency responders transported the injured to Kombewa Sub-County Hospital, with three victims requiring transfer to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital for specialized care. Deya’s body was taken to the Kombewa Sub-County Hospital morgue.

Police have launched a comprehensive investigation to determine the exact cause of the accident.

A Polarizing Religious Figure

Bishop Deya rose to international notoriety in the late 1990s and early 2000s through his Gilbert Deya Ministries, which operated primarily from the United Kingdom. His church claimed that infertile women could conceive “miracle babies” through prayer and divine intervention.

However, his ministry became the subject of serious legal challenges when investigations revealed alleged connections to child trafficking. Authorities accused Deya of stealing children from Kenyan hospitals and impoverished families, then presenting them to desperate couples as divinely conceived babies.

Following a protracted legal battle, Deya was extradited from the United Kingdom to Kenya in 2017, where he faced multiple charges related to child theft. Despite maintaining his innocence throughout the proceedings, the cases sparked significant controversy about religious exploitation and accountability within faith-based organizations.

At the time of his death, the 65-year-old preacher had largely withdrawn from public life but remained a divisive figure in both religious and legal circles. His ministry’s controversial practices had raised broader questions about the regulation of religious organizations and protection of vulnerable populations.