Deya's wife gets 3-year sentence for child theft

Mrs Mary Deya, the wife of controversial preacher Gilbert Deya, before a Nairobi court. PHOTO / FILE  

By NICHOLAS NGOLYOPosted Friday, January 28 2011 at 14:46

The wife of UK-based evangelist Gilbert Deya has been sentenced to three years in prison over the theft of a child at Kenyatta National Hospital.

Mary Deya will serve another two years on each of the two counts of giving false information.

However, all the sentences will run concurrently, meaning she will only serve three years in prison.

Kibera senior principal magistrate Grace Nzioka said she was satisfied that the wife of Bishop Deya stole the child and gave false information that she had given birth.

The court heard that Ms Deya stole the baby boy from Kenyatta National Hospital on September 10, 2005.

And the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Francis Ndiema told the court that the accused has one conviction in which she was jailed for two years for similar offence.

The accused admitted that she served the jail term at Lang’ata Women Prisons.

In her judgment, the magistrate said: “I am satisfied that there is sufficient evidence to sentence the accused to three years jail for stealing the baby and additional two years each of the two counts of giving false information.

The sentence comes barely a week after a nephew of Mr Deya, Paul Deya, was found guilty of murdering his three-old son by a London court.