Frank Gashumba has vowed not to back down in his ongoing dispute with Ugandan pastors over claims of supernatural healing, saying he expected religious leaders to react strongly to his challenge. He also revealed that his wife, Patience Mutoni Malaika, is worried about the growing controversy.
Speaking on Radio 4 on Monday morning, Gashumba said several pastors had responded to his remarks, but insisted that their criticism would not stop him from questioning what he considers misleading miracle claims.
“These pastors are crooks; these are thugs and there is nothing they will do to me. I saw all of them coming after me. My wife says she is worried,” Gashumba said.
He explained that he had reassured Malaika that speaking out about issues affecting the country was part of his public life. “But I told her, don’t you know that you married in a literal struggle? This is what I do every day. We have an obligation and a duty to correct the nation,” he added.
The controversy began after Gashumba challenged pastors, prophets and apostles who claim to heal the sick to demonstrate their alleged powers under publicly verifiable conditions. He initially offered Shs200 million before increasing the challenge to Shs500 million for a religious leader who could heal a critically ill patient in a hospital setting.
Gashumba has questioned why religious leaders who claim to perform supernatural healing do not routinely visit intensive care units to pray for critically ill patients. His challenge has attracted responses from several prominent religious figures, turning the issue into a public debate about faith, miracles and accountability.
Pastor Robert Kayanja of Miracle Centre Cathedral rejected suggestions that miracles associated with his ministry were fake. Bishop David Kiganda also criticised the idea of turning religious faith into a public contest, pointing to his church’s work among people affected by prostitution, drug abuse and crime in Kisenyi. Pastor Juma Mulokole, meanwhile, reportedly expressed willingness to take up the challenge and travelled to Kampala with Shs100 million.
Gashumba has also defended his decision to give money directly to people in need rather than hand it to religious leaders as tithes. He said he pays offertory in the Catholic Church, supports children’s school fees and helps people with necessities such as fuel and food. He further revealed that his disagreement with some Pentecostal churches had affected discussions within his own home, saying he had warned Malaika against attending certain churches. Despite the reactions, he maintains that he will continue questioning miracle claims.
