A fugitive preacher who claims to help infertile couples have miracle babies by prayer will face an extradition hearing next month.

Kenya is seeking to have Pastor Gilbert Deya, 54, extradited so he can be tried on six allegations of child kidnap dating from 1999 to 2004.

Deya represented himself when he appeared at City of Westminster Magistrates Court in London yesterday. District Judge Nicholas Evans released him on bail until an initial short extradition hearing on February 15.

Deya told the court he could not afford a lawyer and had not been able to get legal aid.

He claimed asylum while living in Glasgow on the grounds of race, religious, and political persecution in his native land which would deprive him of a fair trial. The preacher was arrested by Scotland Yard's extradition unit last December after a request from the Kenyan authorities.

He runs his controversial worldwide ministry from Peckham, south London.

Deya claims to help infertile couples in his congregation - estimated to be up to 34,000 strong in the UK alone - have babies through the power of prayer. But he has been accused of trafficking children from Nairobi and the Charity Commission has frozen the bank accounts of his ministry.