Skip to Content Facebook Feature Image

A Kenyan preacher who claimed responsibility for 'miracle babies' is killed in a car crash

News

A Kenyan preacher who claimed responsibility for 'miracle babies' is killed in a car crash
News

News

A Kenyan preacher who claimed responsibility for 'miracle babies' is killed in a car crash

2025-06-19 00:33 Last Updated At:00:41

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A televangelist in Kenya who was notorious for claiming to cure infertility in women died in a car crash on Tuesday, local authorities said.

Gilbert Deya was killed in “a horrific road accident which involved several vehicles,” James Orengo, the governor of Kenya’s Siaya County, said in a post on the social platform X. Local media said there were multiple casualties in the crash, and photos from the scene posted on social media showed mangled vehicles on the highway in western Kenya.

Deya, a onetime stonemason who later styled himself as a bishop, prospered in the 1990s with claims of his ability to successfully pray for women who were struggling to have babies.

In 1990s, the preacher moved from Kenya to the U.K., where he led the Gilbert Deya Ministries, with churches in cities including London and Manchester.

The Kenya News Agency reported after Deya’s death that the preacher and his wife “claimed that infertile or menopausal women could become pregnant in four months, without having sexual relations, thanks to their prayers.”

The claim of “miracle babies” later attracted the attention of authorities, and he was accused in Kenya of stealing five children between 1999 and 2004.

He was extradited to Kenya in 2017 to face criminal charges, which he denied. Prosecutors argued in that case that Deya stole babies from poor people in Kenya and gave them to others to raise as their own.

Deya was acquitted of all charges in 2023.

FILE - Self-styled Archbishop Gilbert Deya, right, speaks at a press conference in Glasgow, Scotland Wednesday Sept. 29, 2004 as he sits alongside pregnant woman Deonna Dakkins-Scott, who claims she became pregnant after she was blessed by Deya. (AP Photo/Ian Stewart, File)

FILE - Self-styled Archbishop Gilbert Deya, right, speaks at a press conference in Glasgow, Scotland Wednesday Sept. 29, 2004 as he sits alongside pregnant woman Deonna Dakkins-Scott, who claims she became pregnant after she was blessed by Deya. (AP Photo/Ian Stewart, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo blocked a shot by LeBron James and stole the ball from him on consecutive possessions in the final minute, and the Milwaukee Bucks blew a fourth-quarter lead before rallying for a 105-101 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.

Kevin Porter Jr. scored 22 points, and he hit two free throws to break a tie after Antetokounmpo blocked a driving layup attempt by James with 39 seconds left.

Antetokounmpo then knocked the ball out of James' hands from behind with 2 seconds left, and Porter hit two more free throws to seal Milwaukee's fifth win in seven games — its first over a team with a winning record since Dec. 11. Antetokounmpo finished with 21 points in his lowest-scoring effort since returning from his right calf strain.

Luka Doncic had 24 points and nine assists on 8-of-25 shooting for the Lakers. He had his lowest-scoring performance since Christmas, and he fouled out on Porter's 3-point attempt with 16.2 seconds to play.

James had 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, but Antetokoumpo got the best of the top scorer in NBA history at crunch time. Los Angeles has lost six of 10.

Milwaukee surged to a double-digit lead in the first half even with Antetokounmpo on a minutes restriction in his injury return. Doncic scored 12 points in the third quarter but also committed four fouls in the period, including his fifth of the game.

Los Angeles abruptly erased its deficit by going on a 17-4 run to open the fourth, with James putting the Lakers ahead when he stole the ball from Antetokounmpo for a layup with 6:02 left. Milwaukee missed nine of its first 12 shots in the period, but Porter's layup tied it with two minutes left.

Lakers starters Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura remain sidelined by injury, but Hachimura (calf) might return early next week from his six-game absence, coach JJ Redick said.

Bucks: At Denver on Sunday.

Lakers: At Sacramento on Monday.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart, left, tries to shoot as Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart, left, tries to shoot as Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, left, and Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. go after a loose ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, left, and Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. go after a loose ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Recommended Articles