Takeaways

• Frank Gashumba filed a formal complaint with the CID against Pastor Robert Kayanja for allegedly threatening his life.
• The feud escalated after Kayanja compared Gashumba’s potential fate to the violent death of Muammar Gaddafi during a sermon.
• Gashumba provided video evidence to authorities, requesting that Kayanja be summoned and potentially charged in court.

Businessman and social commentator Frank Gashumba has come out guns blazing against Pastor Robert Kayanja, accusing the Miracle Centre Cathedral leader of threatening his life and that of his family following their increasingly bitter public disagreement over alleged fake prophets and miracle claims.

In a lengthy statement posted on his official X page, Gashumba revealed that he had formally lodged a complaint with the Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID), asking police to investigate Kayanja over alleged threats of violence.

“I did not mention his name. He mentioned mine with curses,” Gashumba wrote, insisting that his initial criticism of religious leaders was not directed at any particular pastor.

The businessman explained that the disagreement started in October when he appeared on a radio programme discussing religious leaders he accused of exploiting poor and unsuspecting Ugandans. He said he spoke generally about what he considers false prophets, referencing Jesus’ warning about wolves in sheep’s clothing in Matthew 7:15.

The controversy subsequently intensified after Gashumba challenged pastors, prophets and apostles claiming miraculous healing powers to demonstrate their abilities in hospitals.

He initially offered Shs200 million, later increasing the amount to Shs500 million, to any preacher who could demonstrate the healing of a critically ill patient at a recognised hospital.

Pastor Kayanja was among the religious leaders who responded to Gashumba’s remarks. During a Wednesday night service at Miracle Centre Cathedral in Rubaga, the preacher accused Gashumba of repeatedly attacking prominent people and institutions.

Kayanja also made remarks about Gashumba’s fate, saying his own blood would kill him and comparing the situation to the death of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

However, Gashumba now says the remarks went beyond ordinary disagreements and amounted to threats that should be taken seriously.

In his complaint dated October 30, 2026, addressed to CID Director AIGP Maj. Tom Magambo, Gashumba alleges that Kayanja threatened to kill him and members of his family. He attached video footage of the alleged threats on a flash drive as evidence.

The letter bears a CID confidential registry received stamp dated November 2, 2026, and another received stamp from the Office of the Minister for Internal Affairs dated November 3.

Gashumba is asking police to open a criminal case file, summon Kayanja to record a statement and, if warranted, have him charged in court under Section 81 of the Penal Code Act.

He further argued that he could not dismiss the possibility of someone acting on the alleged threats.

“I cannot rule out that a man who can curse on record can also organise thugs off record to harm me,” he stated.

The latest development comes as the disagreement continues to attract attention from Uganda’s religious and political circles.

On Friday, November 6, senior religious leaders, including Kayanja, Bishop Joseph Serwadda, Bishop David Kiganda and Pastor Tom Mugerwa, attended a meeting with Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU) leaders at Serena Kigo, where concerns about Gashumba’s criticism of Born-again churches were raised.

Despite the growing backlash, Gashumba insists his criticism is about alleged religious exploitation, not Christianity itself.

He says he will continue speaking out against religious practices he believes mislead vulnerable people, particularly those encouraged to abandon medical treatment in favour of purported miraculous healing.

“I will not be silenced by fear. I will continue to speak for the voiceless who are being exploited in the name of God,” he declared.

The ball is now in the hands of the police, who are being asked to investigate the allegations.