'Why aren't you attacking Muslims?’ Kayanja's son takes on Sheila Gashumba in feisty exchange

The public row between Frank Gashumba and Ugandan evangelical pastors has now drawn in his daughter, Sheila Gashumba, after she clashed with Pastor Robert Kayanja Jr, son of Pastor Robert Kayanja over miracle claims, church finances and accountability.

The exchange unfolded on X on Tuesday night as Sheilah came out to defend her father against accusations that his criticism of pastors amounted to an attack on Christianity.

She insisted that Frank had not questioned the existence of God, Jesus Christ or miracles. Instead, she said, his criticism was directed at pastors who allegedly stage miracles, pressure poor followers for money and use church collections to finance lavish lifestyles.

“No one questioned God & Jesus’ existence or miracles! We are questioning the stunts posed as ‘miracles’, pastors continuously asking for ridiculous tithe from people, mostly the poor, every week promising them miracles!” she wrote.

Sheilah also questioned how some churches spend their money and why many, in her view, lack the same financial transparency expected of companies, charities and hospitals.

“Some pastors are using the word of God to manipulate people,” she said.

She added that her father remains a practising Catholic and regularly attends Mass at Ggaba Catholic Church in Kampala and Villa Maria Catholic Church in Masaka.

Sheilah said she was baptised and received Holy Communion and Confirmation at Christ the King Church in Kampala.

“Stop confusing people that he said he doesn’t believe in God! He simply said that he doesn’t believe in some churches and pastors who pretend to be God and who steal from the poor and fake miracles,” she wrote.

She also criticised what she described as curses directed at her father and family following the controversy.

“There was no need for you to stand in your church and send curses to him and his family. Is that the word of God?” she asked.

Kayanja Jr, one of the senior pastors of Miracle Centre Cathedral in Rubaga, responded at length, rejecting claims that his ministry stages miracles or avoids accountability.

He said his father's church had fed vulnerable communities, supported children through school and undertaken humanitarian work in Uganda and neighbouring countries.

“We went to Karamoja to feed people and save lives,” Kayanja said.

He also pointed to tractors purchased for Karamoja, saying the equipment had been publicly displayed as part of efforts to demonstrate accountability.

Kayanja Jr said Miracle Centre Cathedral keeps financial records and is audited by the Uganda Revenue Authority.

“By the way, we are audited by the URA. We have to give an account and keep our books in order,” he said.

He also rejected the suggestion that pastors themselves heal people.

“Pastors don’t perform miracles. My dad has made that clear at every crusade: ‘Robert Kayanja doesn’t heal. Only Jesus heals,’” he wrote.

But Kayanja Jr then widened the argument beyond Christianity, questioning why critics did not subject Islam to similar scrutiny.

“My point still stands: no one here calls out Islam for its many dangerous issues,” he said.

He referred to a September 2023 security incident involving his church and claimed militants linked to ADF and Al-Shabaab had delivered a bomb to the premises.

"In September 2023, ADF and Al-Shabaab delivered a bomb to our church. No one called it out. No one said a word."

“And watch this: backlash can be hard, but no one would make these kinds of statements about any other faith or religion,” he added.

The feud began after Frank Gashumba challenged Ugandan pastors, apostles and prophets who claim miraculous healing powers to demonstrate them in a hospital.

He initially offered Shs200 million before increasing the amount to Shs500 million for any religious leader who could demonstrate the healing of a critically ill patient at a major hospital such as Mulago or Nsambya. 

Gashumba argued that extraordinary claims about healing cancer and other serious illnesses should be demonstrated under verifiable conditions.

Kayanja was among the pastors who responded, insisting that miracles associated with his ministry were genuine and came from God. 

The dispute intensified after Gashumba accused some pastors of exploiting poor believers and later said he had been misunderstood as challenging God.

“I have never said that God does not exist or that Jesus does not work. I simply condemned these fake prophets, pastors and apostles who successfully use the name of Jesus to rob the poor,” he said earlier this week. 

Other religious leaders, including Bishop David Kiganda, have also weighed in, arguing that faith cannot be reduced to a public cash contest.