Pastor Wasswa Kiyingi, the senior pastor of Pillar of Fire Church in Wampeewo, has come under public scrutiny following reports that a young man he prayed for continued experiencing distress after an attempt to cast out alleged demons. The incident comes days after political analyst Frank Gashumba challenged Ugandan pastors to demonstrate visible miracles, reportedly offering Shs300 million as part of the challenge.
According to the account circulating online, the young man was taken to the pastor for prayers after experiencing what was described as demonic possession. Pastor Kiyingi reportedly prayed for him and commanded the alleged demons to leave his body, hoping that the man would be delivered from his suffering.
During the encounter, the pastor reportedly said the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that the young man had been bewitched and that demons had been forced into his body. He assured the man that Jesus Christ, whom he described as a healer, would deliver him within seconds.
A video of the prayer session reportedly shows Pastor Kiyingi intensifying his prayers while touching the young man’s stomach and commanding the alleged demons to leave. The pastor also applied anointing oil during the attempt to deliver the man.
However, reports circulating after the encounter claim that the young man was still experiencing distress by the following day. The situation reportedly worried his wife and children, who had hoped that the prayers would bring him relief.
The account further claims that the man continued describing frightening nighttime experiences involving black cats, which he said left him struggling to sleep. These claims have not been independently verified, and the available account does not establish the cause of the experiences or confirm the pastor’s interpretation of them.
The incident has attracted attention because of Gashumba’s challenge to religious leaders who claim to perform miracles. Gashumba has called on pastors to demonstrate their healing claims in a manner that can be observed and verified, sparking debate about faith, spiritual healing and accountability among religious leaders.
It remains unclear whether Pastor Kiyingi has publicly responded to the reports or whether further details about the young man’s condition have emerged. The claims surrounding the prayer session remain unverified, and the incident has renewed discussion about the difference between religious testimonies and independently verifiable evidence of miraculous healing.
