Frank Gashumba, the outspoken Ugandan social commentator known for his views on almost every matter of public interest, caused a national stir on one of those fateful Tuesdays in early October 2026.
Appearing on a local radio station, Gashumba launched a scathing attack on religious leaders, particularly born-again (balokole pentecostals) pastors, prophets and others of their ilk, whom he accused of staging fake miracles to fleece their followers.
Describing them as thieves, goons, fake pastors and prophets, and anything but men of God, Gashumba went as far as calling them “miyaayu” (feral cat) living lavishly at the expense of poor Ugandans while enjoying protection from the state.
He then issued a bold challenge: any pastor claiming to possess healing powers was welcome to visit an intensive care unit (ICU) at Mulago, Nsambya, or Mengo Hospital, heal a cancer patient and walk away with UGX 200 million. Gashumba would later raise the prize to UGX 500 million.
Among the first born-again leaders to respond to Gashumba’s challenge was Robert Kayanja of Miracle Centre Cathedral, one of Uganda’s largest Pentecostal churches. His response was anything but conciliatory.
“Because you have ridiculed the blood of Jesus and you attacked God’s people, your own blood will kill you. You will turn into chapatti.” Robert Kayanja declared.
Other pastors, meanwhile, kept chiming in with insults, calling Gashumba a fool, fraud (mufere), idiot, among others. And so began what would soon become a month-long turmoil between Frank Gashumba and born-again pastors and prophets in Uganda.
Those familiar with Gashumba, however, know he is hardly the sort of man to retreat in a fight. Far from backing down, he continued firing back at the “men of God,” even hinting at alleged scandals involving some Ugandan pastors. Among those Gashumba threatened to expose were alleged gay affairs, “breaking people’s marriages,” fraud and, perhaps most shockingly, involvement in murder cases involving guns.
Robert Kayanja, on the other side, wasn’t backing down either. In his subsequent response, he pronounced a curse on Gashumba’s family, extending it to the fourth generation.
“Your own blood will k*ll you… the dust will fight you, the wind will chase you, the ground will reject you… for four generations,” Kayanja enacted.
What had started as a war between a 51-year-old outspoken man and the born-again fraternity quickly devolved into an all-out family feud. Sheila Gashumba, Frank’s daughter, took on Kayanja’s son in a verbal fight on X, while Frank’s wife, Malaika Mutoni, squared off against Kayanja’s wife, Jessica.
Meanwhile, reports emerged that a group of religious leaders and pastors, whose identities remain undisclosed, were meeting with Frank Gashumba’s household to pray against the curses being directed at him. Among those reportedly involved was the charismatic pastor Martin Ssempa, popularly associated with the “Why Are You Gay?”
As the dispute between the two camps gathered momentum, public opinion on social media appeared to tilt in Gashumba’s favour. Ugandan musicians Elijah Kitaka and Exodus UG (George Lubega Timothy) are among those publicly criticising Kayanja, aligning with Gashumba. Both are former members of Kayanja’s church.
Despite the mounting attacks, controversy, and support he continued to receive, Gashumba has remained undeterred, appearing on radio and television shows and podcasts to defend his stance and challenging Pentecostal leaders to take up the UGX 500 million miracle challenge.
This was supposed to be a scriptural breakdown by Joshua Mwesigwa, but… happy Sunday!
