10 things you didn’t know about televangelist Gilbert Deya

Televangelist Gilbert Deya photo:courtesy

1. He was an evangelist in Kenya in the late 1980s to early 1990s, before moving to the UK

One woman is claimed to have 'had' three children in less than a year. The woman travelled from the United Kingdom to Kenya in order to ‘give birth’.

2. Gilbert Deya was ordained by the United Evangelical Church of Kenya where he styled himself "Archbishop"

Gilbert Deya Ministries photo:courtesy

3. Ten children, none of whom had any genetic connection to the Deya family, were found at Mr Deya's House.

The babies were placed in foster care after DNA tests showed they had no connection to their alleged mothers. 

Rose Atieno Kiserem, a former pastor with Deya's ministry was jailed along with Deya and upon her release from jail, Kiserem confessed that the 'miracle babies' were a hoax created by Deya and his accomplices to deceive God-fearing people.

photo:courtesy

4. Deya's wife, Eddah, was arrested in November 2004, charged with obtaining registration for five children irregularly

Gilbert Deya and his wife Mary photo:courtesy

5. Gilbert Deya's church in Pekham, South London has 34,000 members

The ministry has churches in Liverpool, London, Birmingham, Nottingham, Luton, Reading and Manchester.

The church claims to be "the fastest growing Ministry in the UK and worldwide".

Deya meeting the Queen and Prince Philip photo:courtesy

6. ‘Gilbert Deya Ministries’ claimed that Deya's powers allowed him to cause infertile women to become pregnant.

Mr Deya claimed that through the power of prayer and the Lord Jesus, he was able to help sterile women give birth.

Gilbert Deya at a press conference in Glasgow, Scotland photo:courtesy

7. Deya was accused of stealing five children from Pumwani Hospital, Nairobi 

  He coordinated the trafficking of children, who his church would later present as ‘miracles’ for barren mothers.

8. Gilbert Deya was arrested in London by the Metropolitan Police

 A police spokesman said Gilbert Deya was detained under an arrest warrant issued by Kenyan authorities, who had charged him with child abduction and trafficking.

9. Mr. Deya was accused of selling a miracle cure for HIV/AIDS. He claimed that the oil he was using was anointed and if applied on any food, would eliminate cancer/ HIV/AIDS.

10. He quit school in lower primary and at the age of 21, married Mary Anyango who was 14 years old by then.