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Kenyan Televangelist Gilbert Deya Acquitted of Child Trafficking Charges
Gilbert Deya, a Kenyan televangelist who claimed to create miraculous pregnancies was Monday acquitted of child-trafficking charges because of insufficient evidence.
Deya was accused of stealing five children twenty years ago and handing them to women struggling to become pregnant. The prosecution failed to prove that he had committed the crimes, and a Kenyan magistrate acquitted him.
Deya’s case first came to light in a BBC investigation in 2004. The investigation found that women who attended Deya’s church in London were told they could have “miracle” babies if they donated money to the church. The babies were always “delivered” in backstreet clinics in Nairobi.
The investigation also found that some of the women who had attended the church had been scammed. They had been told that they were pregnant, but they were not.
The prosecution alleged that the babies were stolen from poor Kenyan families. However, the prosecution was unable to provide any evidence to support this claim.
In his ruling, magistrate Robison Ondieki said the prosecution had “failed to establish circumstantial evidence”.
“The prosecution having failed to establish circumstantial evidence, I acquit the accused under section 250 of the CPC,” the magistrate ruled.
Speaking outside court, Deya said that he was “grateful” to be free and that he would continue to “proceed to the mission that Jesus gave to me on earth”. He also hinted that he may seek to return to the UK.
Deya’s church, Gilbert Deya Ministries, is based in London. The church has a large following in Kenya, and Deya often travels to the country to conduct services.
The prosecution’s case against Deya was based on the BBC investigation and the testimony of several witnesses. The witnesses alleged that they had seen Deya steal babies from poor Kenyan families.
However, the prosecution was unable to provide any physical evidence to support the witnesses’ claims. The prosecution also failed to prove that Deya had any connection to the backstreet clinics where the babies were “delivered”.
Lobby groups ask the US to stop business with Kenya until the anti-gay bill is dropped
About 50 lobby groups Tuesday asked the US to stop engagement talks with Kenya until President William Ruto dismisses an anti-gay bill submitted by Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma.
The “Family Protection Bill” introduced to Parliament by Kaluma seeks to illegalize homosexuality, same-sex marriages, and LGBTQ practices.
Now, the lobby groups want the Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP) talks to be stopped until Ruto acts.
“In partnership with LGBTQI+ groups in Kenya, we reiterate our request that you pause STIP negotiations until President Ruto commits to vetoing this bill,” the lobby groups told the Biden administration in a letter addressed to US Trade Representative Ambassador Katherine Tai.
“Pausing the trade talks aligns with the Biden Administration’s position of defending LGBTQI+ rights globally. This move would advance a worker-centered, inclusive trade policy. Moreover, stopping trade talks would send a message to countries around the world that the United States.”
The lobby wants Tai to request Ruto and Trade CS Moses Kuria to commit to rejecting any bill or policy that would enact new anti-LGBTQ+ criminal penalties on Kenyans.
They have launched a drive to collect 10,000 signatures to suspend the trade talks.
If Kaluma’s bill is passed, rights to assembly, demonstration, association, expression, belief, privacy, and employment in childcare institutions in respect of homosexual convicts will be limited.
Further, the bill will restrict adoption by homosexuals and proscribes sex acts on animals. Kaluma has also maintained that homosexuals should be punished because homosexuality is illegal in Kenya.
Likewise, Kaluma’s bill wants sexual health and sexual health rights and education banned.
The bill, if passed, will uphold the prior rights of parents and guardians to their children’s education.
It will reassert the rights of parents to be informed and to consent to sexuality education, and abortion procedures involving their children.
Court of Appeal upholds suspension of Finance Act 2023
The Court of Appeal Tuesday declined to lift the High Court’s order suspending the implementation of the Finance Act 2023. The court directed the parties to appear for a ruling on July 28, when it will determine whether to lift the conservatory orders.
The conservatory orders were issued by the High Court on June 30, 2023, following a petition challenging the Finance Act 2023 filed on July 1, 2023, by Busia Senator, Okiya Omtata.
This decision follows the selection of a three-judge bench to hear and determine the petitions challenging the Act. The bench is composed of High Court judges David Majanja (presiding judge), Christine Meoli, and Lawrence Mugambi.
Senator Okiya Omtatah argues that the Finance Act 2023 is unconstitutional. The Act raises VAT on petroleum products from 8% to 16%, among a raft of other revenue-raising measures through taxes.
The Court of Appeal’s decision is a setback for the government, which had sought to have the conservatory orders lifted so that the Act could be implemented. The government argued that the Act was necessary to raise revenue to fund essential services.
However, the Court of Appeal ruled that the public interest in protecting the taxpayers’ rights outweighs the government’s interest in implementing the Act. The court will issue its ruling on July 28.
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