World
Succession Battle Grips Tooro Kingdom Ahead of King Oyo's Burial
By Today News Hours Editorial Desk
A succession dispute has broken out in Uganda's Tooro Kingdom just days before the burial of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who died last month at age 34 while undergoing cancer treatment in the United States. He had ruled the kingdom for more than three decades and was previously the world's youngest reigning monarch.
Royal clan elders announced that Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a 56-year-old news presenter at Uganda's state broadcaster UBC, would succeed Oyo as king. However, the decision has been rejected by the late king's immediate family.
Oyo's sister, Princess Ruth Komuntale, said her brother left a will in 2022 naming his young son—whose identity has not been made public—as his rightful heir. She said the announcement of Kijanangoma's selection, made on Wednesday night, had caused "confusion and turmoil" during a period of mourning. Her position was supported by their aunt, Princess Elizabeth Bagaaya.
The late king's mother, Queen Best Kemigisa, said royal guards had been removed from the palace and replaced by soldiers, limiting the family's movement and ability to receive visitors. She described the situation as amounting to "house arrest" and appealed to army leaders and President Yoweri Museveni to allow the family to mourn and bury Oyo without interference. The burial is scheduled for Saturday at the royal tombs near the palace in Fort Portal, western Uganda, where thousands of mourners are expected. Oyo's body was flown back to Uganda from the US on Friday.
Tooro is one of several traditional kingdoms in Uganda that hold cultural but not political authority. The kingdoms were abolished in 1967 and later restored in the 1990s under President Museveni, with monarchs recognized solely as cultural figures.
The existence of Oyo's son was first disclosed publicly by President Museveni shortly after the king's death; he said he had learned of the child from the queen mother. No further details about the boy have been released, and he had not previously been named as heir.
Unlike hereditary succession systems such as Britain's, Tooro's monarch is chosen by clan elders from among eligible princes within the Babiito royal dynasty. At a press conference in Fort Portal, the kingdom's succession committee—comprising 19 members—said it had conducted "due diligence, consultation and adequate consideration" before selecting Kijanangoma, who is Oyo's cousin, the son of Prince Christopher Paul Kijanangoma, and a grandson of former king George David Rukidi III.
Another candidate considered for the throne, Prince George Desmond Kamurasi, a goalkeeper and captain for the UK amateur football club South East Dons, reportedly declined the position due to other commitments.
A date for the enthronement has not yet been set, though the committee said the process would follow Tooro's customs and traditions.
Following the announcement, Oyo's family held a separate press conference rejecting the clan's decision, insisting that the late king's written wishes be honored. According to Princess Komuntale, Oyo had left detailed instructions naming his son as first in line, along with alternative successors should the boy be unable to take the throne.
Clan representatives countered that the claim of an heir was not sufficient, since the child had not been formally presented to the royal clan as required by tradition. A committee member told Uganda's NTV that a royal child must be formally introduced to elders and complete customary ceremonies before being considered eligible for succession.
Uganda's Culture Minister, Henry Tumukunde, has announced plans to mediate the dispute, with a resolution expected following consultations with President Museveni and other cultural leaders.