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Frank Gashumba has once again put Ugandan miracle-claiming pastors on the spot. In recent days the outspoken commentator offered first Shs200 million, then raised it to Shs500 million, daring any prophet or apostle to walk into the ICU at Mulago, Nsambya or Mengo Hospital and instantly heal a critically ill patient. He promised to get saved and apologise publicly if it happened. Pastor Robert Kayanja and several others have responded. The money remains uncollected.
Joseph Mbazzi Muguluma, writing as the Oracle of Kifuuta, looks at the whole episode and calls it a trap. He compares it directly to the devil’s temptation of Jesus in the desert and argues that true power never performs for a bet.
What exactly did Frank Gashumba challenge the pastors to do?
Gashumba went on radio and said he was ready to embrace Christianity that same day if any so-called prophet or apostle would accompany him to the intensive care unit of Mulago National Referral Hospital, Nsambya Hospital or Mengo Hospital and make a critically ill person stand up and walk instantly. He staked Shs200 million, later raised the figure to Shs500 million, and accused some preachers of using the name of Jesus to collect money from poor and vulnerable Ugandans.
No pastor has collected the money. No public hospital healing under the conditions he set has been reported.
How have pastors responded to Gashumba’s challenge?
Pastor Robert Kayanja of Miracle Centre Cathedral in Rubaga rejected the suggestion that miracles linked to his ministry are fake. He said: “Our miracles are not fake. They are God-made. It’s biblical that you have to be born again to have them.”
Other pastors have also spoken out, some with strong language. Bishop David Kiganda compared the challenge to the devil tempting Jesus. Prayer minister Martha Ssemakula warned that Gashumba might one day find himself in a position where he needs a pastor’s prayer. The debate has been loud, public, and full of emotion. The hospital demonstration has not happened.
Why does the Oracle of Kifuuta call Gashumba’s challenge a trap?
In his piece The Dance of Ndiwulira: We Don’t Bet with God, the Oracle writes that Gashumba has given the pastors enough rope. He draws a straight line to the Gospel account of the temptation in the desert.
“Just like the devil in the desert, after 40 days of fasting, asked Jesus, ‘If you are the Son of God, turn this stone into bread.’ Some pastors have decided to keep the devil on the cross. They want to turn stone to bread on camera. But miracles do not happen at the altar of a bet.”
He continues: “True power never performs for a bet. God is not a circus. Our pastors forgot. Gashumba said, ‘Perform for money,’ and they ran to the pulpit to perform. They left the Gospel and entered the casino.”
What does the Bible say about testing God?
The Oracle quotes the clear instruction: “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” He notes that Jesus was hungry and weak after forty days, yet refused to perform on demand. Jesus could have turned the desert into a bakery, but He answered that man shall not live by bread alone.
The same principle, the Oracle argues, applies today. A miracle demanded for money, cameras, and public proof is not the way of the Gospel.
Why does the Oracle criticise pastors who insult Gashumba from the pulpit?
This is the part that hurts him most. He asks why a sinner who comes to church dirty and broken, looking for mercy, should be abused from the altar.
“Jesus ate with sinners. He never abused them from the altar. If you are a pastor, preach your gospel. Win souls. Get new followers. If you can’t disprove Gashumba with truth, don’t follow him to the grave with insults. Preach Christ and keep quiet.”
He points out that a Catholic priest or bishop is unlikely to fall into this kind of public trap.
How do Catholics and traditional believers approach miracles according to the Oracle?
The Oracle writes as a Catholic who also respects the traditional ways of Kifuuta, Kyotera and Buddu. He describes a quieter path.
“When I have my issues, I don’t shout. I don’t bet. I want God to send my gods, my saints, my angels to help me. I take my rosary. Click… click… click… Hail Mary… Holy Mary… And things turn positive. Quietly.”
He recalls miracles linked to the intercession of Rev. Fr. Ngobya and the example of the desert fathers and Coptic Christians in Egypt. St. Anthony spent years in the desert. The devil tempted him daily to prove his holiness. Anthony never performed for the crowd. He prayed. Miracles happened, and they stayed quiet. No Facebook Live. No TikTok. No cash prize.
Pope Tawadros II of the Copts is quoted: “God is not a magician you hire for a show.” Their rule is simple: a miracle does not need an advert.
What is the final message of the Oracle of Kifuuta?
He refuses to join the dance of public spectacle. Ndiwulira may dance to the current tune, but he remains Catholic.
“Keep your rosary. Keep your evening. Keep your Bible and its company. Let them bet. We pray in Kifuuta, Kyotera, Buddu. Our gods bring the best from God.”
Gashumba set the trap. The devil once set the same trap for Jesus. Jesus walked away. Some pastors walked right into it. The Oracle’s counsel is clear: do not put the Lord your God to the test.
