Sheilah Gashumba Refuses to Call Stepmother “Mum,” Explains Why

Sheilah Gashumba says she will not call her stepmother “mum,” and she is not changing her mind.

Speaking on Kasuku Live, Sheilah explained that the situation feels uncomfortable for her, especially because her stepmother, Patience Mutoni Malaika, is younger than she is.

I cannot call Malaika “mum.” Malaika is, first of all, younger than me, so how do I call someone younger than me “mum?” I still give her respect, but I cannot call her mum.

Despite her stance, Sheilah made it clear that respect is not the issue.

She says she treats her stepmother well, but believes titles like “mum” should come naturally, not by force.

Let’s leave all the formalities because respect has to be earned. The way you love your mum, would you call another person mum?

Instead, she sticks to what feels right to her, using alternatives like “auntie” or simply calling people by their names.

My mother literally carried me for nine months, and then I go and call another person mum? I cannot.

While she acknowledged that Buganda culture encourages people to call elders “mum,” Sheilah says she does not personally connect with that practice.

Her comments have since divided opinion, with some backing her honesty and others arguing that tradition should come first.