On August 4, 2017, controversial preacher Gilbert Deya jetted back to Kenya after he was extradited from the United Kingdom on allegations of child trafficking.
Deya was reportedly escorted to Kenya by Kenyan police officers who had travelled to the UK to facilitate his extradition back to the country.
Upon his arrival in the country, the controversial preacher was taken to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) for questioning over allegations of his involvement in child trafficking.
Child-trafficking concerns surrounding Gilbert Deya were first publicly raised in 2004. A BBC investigation that year revealed that women at his London-based ministry, Gilbert Deya Ministries in Peckham, south-east London, were being promised “miracle babies.”
However, the infants were delivered in Nairobi, raising suspicions that some children had been stolen.
Gilbert Deya Extradited
The scandal broke when Kenyan authorities, in collaboration with UK police, began investigating claims that Deya’s ministry was involved in trafficking children from Kenya to the UK. DNA tests conducted on children linked to the “miracle babies” showed no biological connection to the women who claimed to be their mothers, raising suspicions of a trafficking network.
In November 2004, a UK High Court ruled that at least one of these “miracle” infants was in fact a victim of trafficking, stating that the birth story was “a falsehood, not a miracle” and involved serious deception.
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Deya was arrested in London in December 2006 after Kenya requested his extradition. He was released on bail as the extradition process started, but it took over ten years due to legal challenges. These included appeals based on human rights concerns and claims that he might be mistreated in Kenya.
Deya’s lawyers argued that he would not receive fair treatment in Kenyan custody and that the evidence against him was weak. However, British courts accepted Kenya’s request for extradition after lengthy hearings, saying there was enough evidence against him.
In early 2017, the UK Home Office approved Deya’s extradition, rejecting his appeals. The decision was based on assurances from Kenyan authorities that Deya would receive a fair trial and humane treatment in custody.
Controversial Preacher Passes Away
After his extradition to Kenya on August 3, 2017, Gilbert Deya was charged with five counts of child stealing, accused of abducting children between 2002 and 2004 to support his widely discredited “miracle babies” claims.
Following a protracted trial, he was acquitted on July 17, 2023, by Senior Principal Magistrate Robison Ondieki, who ruled that the prosecution had failed to present sufficient evidence.
The court noted that Deya was in the United Kingdom at the time the alleged crimes occurred and that no direct link to the offences was established.
The Controversial Bishop Gilbert Deya died on Tuesday, June 17, following a tragic road accident at Namba Kapiyo along the Kisumu–Bondo highway.
Nyanza Regional Traffic Enforcement Officer Peter Maina said the accident involved three vehicles: a Toyota Noah driven by Deya, a Moi University bus, and a Siaya County government vehicle.
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