Controversial Kenyan pastor Gilbert Deya has died following a tragic road accident along the Bondo-Kisian road in Siaya County. The crash, which occurred at the Namba-Kapiyo area, involved three vehicles and left 30 others injured.
According to Nyanza Regional Traffic Commander Peter Maina, Deya was driving a Toyota Noah when he lost control of the vehicle and collided with a school bus belonging to Moi University. In an attempt to avoid a head-on collision, the bus driver swerved, causing the vehicle to veer off the road and roll over. A third vehicle, a Toyota Fortuner belonging to the County Government of Siaya, was also struck during the incident.
“Bishop Gilbert Deya, who was behind the wheel of the Toyota Noah, died on the spot,” Maina said. “He had two female passengers in the car, believed to be his wife and another woman, who sustained minor injuries.”
The school bus was ferrying students to Kisumu, with 15 of them suffering serious injuries and another 15 sustaining minor wounds. The injured were rushed to Kombewa Sub-County Hospital, while three critically hurt victims were later transferred to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital for specialized treatment.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the crash to determine the precise cause and rule out any negligence or mechanical failure.
Bishop Deya rose to fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s through his controversial “miracle babies” ministry. His church, Gilbert Deya Ministries, claimed infertile women could conceive through divine intervention. However, he later faced multiple charges of child trafficking, with allegations of stealing babies from Kenyan hospitals and poor families, presenting them as “miracles” to desperate couples.
After a prolonged extradition battle, Deya was returned to Kenya from the UK in 2017 to face trial. Though he denied the accusations, the scandal ignited national debate on religious exploitation and accountability.
At the time of his death, Deya had largely retreated from the public eye, but he remained a divisive figure. His body was taken to Kombewa Hospital mortuary as authorities cleared the scene and continued investigations.
