KAMPALA, Uganda — Ugandan media personality Sheilah Gashumba has hit back at Robert Kayanja Jr after he accused her of setting a bad example for young girls, recalling that his family allegedly paid her to promote a fashion event linked to his sister.
Gashumba cited the December 2020 launch of Kristiana Kayanja’s clothing line, claiming that Pastor Jessica Kayanja invited her to the event and offered her Shs2 million to promote the brand on social media.
Her response has intensified a public dispute that began with her father, media personality Frank Gashumba, challenging religious leaders who claim to perform miraculous healings.
Recently, Kayanja Jr criticised Sheilah’s public image and accused her of encouraging behaviour he considered inappropriate among young women.
“I have gone to schools where you have taken your nonsense, leading girls to follow into debauchery, based on the portrayal of how you carry yourself,” he wrote.
He also described her as a “half naked DJ with no musical talent”, turning the wider disagreement into a direct confrontation over her character and influence.
Sheilah questions Kayanja family’s alleged endorsement
Responding to the criticism, Sheilah recalled receiving a call from Jessica Kayanja in December 2020 inviting her to the launch of her daughter Kristiana’s fashion brand.
She claimed the invitation followed efforts to reach her over several days and included a payment of Shs2 million for social media promotion.
“In 2020 December, I received a call from Mrs Jessica Kayanja inviting me to the launch of her daughter Kristiana’s clothing line and that her daughter really wants me to attend the event,” Sheilah wrote.
“She has been looking for me for over a week. The invite even came with Shs2m for me to post on my socials and push her brand.”
Sheilah praised Kristiana’s work as a fashion designer but questioned why the family had allegedly sought her endorsement if they considered her public image harmful to young women.
“Now my question to you (Kayanja Jr), if I’m misleading girls and if I portray myself in bad manner, why did my presence matter so much that day?” she asked.
“Why would your family want to affiliate her brand with mine?”
Her argument centred on what she portrayed as a contradiction between the criticism now directed at her and the family’s alleged decision to enlist her support for a commercial venture.
The account of the invitation and payment remains Sheilah’s claim. Independent confirmation of the arrangement would be necessary to establish the details conclusively.
‘When did you make it personal?’
Sheilah also argued that Kayanja Jr had shifted the discussion away from the original issue of miracle claims and turned it into a personal attack.
“The question was about miracles, when did you divert and make it personal?” she wrote.
She maintained that neither Kayanja Jr nor his father had been the initial focus of her criticism, accusing the younger Kayanja of redirecting the debate towards her personal life and appearance.
Sheilah further urged him to control his temper if he wanted to protect his father’s legacy.
The exchange illustrates how the dispute has expanded beyond disagreements over religious practices into a clash involving family reputation, public conduct and the influence of prominent personalities.
How the dispute over miracle claims began
The confrontation traces back to Frank Gashumba’s challenge to pastors, prophets and apostles who claim to heal serious illnesses through divine intervention.
Gashumba initially offered Shs200 million to any religious leader who could demonstrate miraculous healing on a critically ill patient at a major hospital. He later increased the proposed reward to Shs500 million.
The challenge prompted a response from Pastor Robert Kayanja, who rejected suggestions that his ministry stages fake miracles and maintained that healing comes through Jesus rather than pastors themselves.
Sheilah subsequently defended her father and criticised churches she accused of exploiting poor believers through excessive tithes and a lack of financial transparency.
Kayanja Jr responded by defending his family’s church, pointing to its humanitarian activities, educational support and accountability measures.
The disagreement then escalated as the two sides exchanged increasingly personal criticism, moving the discussion away from the original questions surrounding miraculous healing and church finances.
A wider debate over religious accountability and public influence
The dispute has brought together several sensitive issues in Uganda’s public life: the credibility of claims about miraculous healing, the accountability of religious institutions and the responsibility of public figures whose conduct attracts young audiences.
Frank Gashumba’s challenge raises questions about what evidence should be required when religious leaders make claims about healing serious illnesses.
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At the same time, any assessment of such claims must distinguish between religious belief, personal testimony and independently verifiable medical evidence.
The argument has also exposed disagreements over how public figures should be judged. Kayanja Jr’s criticism focuses on Sheilah’s appearance and the example he believes she sets for young women, while Sheilah has challenged what she sees as a contradiction between that criticism and her account of the family’s earlier request for her promotional services.
Neither argument, on its own, resolves the wider questions about religious accountability or the influence of celebrities and media personalities on young audiences.
For now, the exchange has become a highly personal dispute involving two prominent Ugandan families. Whether it returns to the original debate over miracle claims and church accountability remains unclear.
