Controversial ‘Miracle Babies’ Pastor Gilbert Deya, 72, Dies in Kenya Road Crash

Reporting by iNewsAfrica Bureau, East Africa

Kenyan televangelist Gilbert Deya, known for the “miracle babies” scandal, has died at the age of 72 following a tragic road accident on the Kisumu–Bondo highway. At least 15 others, including Moi University students and Siaya County officials, sustained injuries in the multi-vehicle collision. The accident is under investigation.

• Who: Pastor Gilbert Juma Deya, age 72, controversial cleric

• What: Died in a fatal car crash involving multiple vehicles

• Where: Kisumu–Bondo Highway near Namba Kapiyo, Kenya

• When: Tuesday evening, June 17, 2025

• Casualties: Deya died on the spot; wife and passenger injured; 13 Moi University students seriously hurt

• Investigation: Crash under active police review

KISUMU, Kenya — The once-celebrated yet controversial televangelist Gilbert Juma Deya, infamous for claiming to help infertile women deliver “miracle babies,” died on Tuesday evening in a fatal road crash on the Kisumu–Bondo Highway.

According to Nyanza Regional Traffic Enforcement Officer Peter Maina, Deya’s Toyota Noah veered into the path of an oncoming Moi University student bus near Namba Kapiyo. The impact triggered a chain collision with a Siaya County Government SUV.

Deya, aged 72, was declared dead at the scene, while his wife and another female passenger sustained minor injuries. Authorities confirmed that 13 students onboard the university bus were seriously injured and rushed to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, with others treated at Kombewa Sub‑County Hospital.

Passengers in the government vehicle, including a county executive, also sustained light injuries. Police say the circumstances surrounding the crash are still being investigated, including possible driver error or mechanical failure.

Deya’s death reignites public debate about his legacy. His ministry gained notoriety in the early 2000s over alleged child trafficking under the guise of miraculous births. After a long extradition battle from the UK, he was flown to Kenya in 2017 and acquitted in 2023 due to insufficient evidence.

While many viewed him as a religious healer, others saw him as a manipulative figure who exploited vulnerable followers. His sudden death marks the end of one of East Africa’s most controversial religious careers.