Piece by: ANNETTE WAMBULWA

13 March 2023

• In his defence, Deya urged the court to acquit him for lack of evidence saying the prosecution has not proved the case of child theft against him.

Controversial Bishop Gilbert Deya will today be cross-examined by the prosecution in his child theft case where he is defending himself.

Deya who was put on defense by the court is currently in the dock to defend and exonerate himself from the case.

Senior State Prosecutor Nicholas Mutuku is expected to cross-examine Deya in a bid to poke holes in the evidence that he testified in court two weeks ago.

In the case, Deya is charged with five counts of stealing five children, all aged below 14 years, between 2002 and 2004, at Mountain View Estate.

In his defence, he urged the court to acquit him for lack of evidence saying the prosecution has not proved the case of child theft against him.

While defending himself from the allegation, the preacher who was on August 4, 2017, deported to Kenya from the UK to face child theft charges, denied all five counts.

Led in his defence by lawyer John Swaka, the bishop denied having given any instruction to anybody to keep the five children in his Mountain View home in Nairobi.

Deya denied visiting a number of hospitals or clinics and maintained he had no connection with the five children.

Deya told the court that his wife Mary was first charged with the same offence of stealing five children but the court acquitted her for lack of evidence.

He said the prosecution relied on witnesses who failed to demonstrate that Deya received or trafficked children.

He said that the testimonies of prosecution witnesses showed he was abroad and could therefore not be linked to the act of receiving and harbouring the children.

It was his argument that there was a likelihood that the charges against him were borne out of malice and ill will.