In short
- King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of Uganda’s Tooro kingdom died last month aged 34 while undergoing cancer treatment in the United States.
- Royal clan elders named Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, 56, a presenter at the state-run broadcaster UBC, as the next Omukama, or king of Tooro.
- Princess Ruth Komuntale said her brother left a will written in 2022 naming his young son, whose identity has never been disclosed, as his successor.
- King Oyo’s burial is scheduled for Saturday at the royal tombs near the palace in Fort Portal, western Uganda.
- Culture Minister Henry Tumukunde said he would oversee mediation, with an outcome expected after consultations with President Yoweri Museveni and cultural leaders.
Uganda’s Tooro kingdom is in open succession dispute after royal clan elders named Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, 56, a news presenter at the state-run broadcaster UBC, as the next king. The announcement was made on Wednesday night in Fort Portal, days before the burial of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who died last month aged 34.
Who has been named as Tooro’s next king?
Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma is a cousin of the late king and a grandson of former Tooro king George David Rukidi III. The royal clan’s succession committee announced his selection at a press conference in Fort Portal and said it had carried out “due diligence, consultation and adequate consideration”, with 19 members signing the resolution. The elders said they hold the customary authority to choose a suitable prince as “the Omukama”, the local title for the king of Tooro. No date has been set for the enthronement. Another contender, Prince George Desmond Kamurasi, captain and goalkeeper of the South East Dons amateur club in the UK, declined the offer, citing other responsibilities.
Why has the late king’s family rejected the choice?
Princess Ruth Komuntale, a sister of King Oyo, said the late king left a will written in 2022 naming his young son as his successor. “My brother did leave behind an heir to the throne, and that was very clearly stated,” she said, accusing those behind the announcement of creating “confusion and turmoil” while the family was grieving. She said the will set out alternatives if the boy could not take the throne, a position backed by senior royal Princess Elizabeth Bagaaya. Clan representatives said reports that Oyo had a son were not sufficient because the child had not been formally presented to the royal clan. A committee member told Uganda’s NTV station that a royal child must be introduced to elders and undergo ceremonies and other preparations to be considered for leadership.
What has the queen mother said?
Queen Best Kemigisa, the late king’s mother, said royal guards had been withdrawn from the palace and soldiers deployed, restricting the family’s movement and its ability to receive visitors, a situation she described as “house arrest”. She appealed to the army’s leadership and President Yoweri Museveni to allow the family to mourn and bury Oyo in peace on Saturday. “I appeal to those fighting over the throne: please, there will be time for all of that,” she said. The existence of Oyo’s son was first made public after the king’s death by President Museveni, who said the queen mother had told him about the boy.
When and where will King Oyo be buried?
King Oyo’s body was returned to Uganda from the United States on Friday. Thousands of mourners are expected at the burial on Saturday at the royal tombs near the palace in Fort Portal, in western Uganda. Oyo had ruled Tooro for more than three decades and was the world’s youngest reigning monarch when he took the throne. Tooro is one of Uganda’s traditional kingdoms, whose monarch holds no formal political authority but remains an important cultural figure in the region. Uganda abolished its traditional kingdoms in 1967 and restored them in the 1990s under President Museveni, whose government recognises their monarchs as cultural leaders rather than political rulers. Across the border in eastern DR Congo, a fire and stampede at a school in Bukavu killed at least 24 children.
What happens next in the dispute?
Culture Minister Henry Tumukunde has stepped in to oversee mediation efforts, with an outcome expected after consultations with President Museveni and cultural leaders.
Frequently asked questions
Who has been named the new king of Tooro?
Royal clan elders named Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, 56, a presenter at the state-run broadcaster UBC and a cousin of the late King Oyo, as the next Omukama, or king, of Tooro.
When will King Oyo be buried?
He is to be buried on Saturday at the royal tombs near the palace in Fort Portal, western Uganda, after his body was returned from the United States on Friday.
Why is King Oyo’s family disputing the succession?
Princess Ruth Komuntale says the late king left a will written in 2022 naming his young son as heir, while clan representatives say the child was never formally presented to the royal clan as Tooro tradition requires.
Does the king of Tooro have political power in Uganda?
No. Uganda abolished its traditional kingdoms in 1967 and restored them in the 1990s under President Yoweri Museveni, and their monarchs are recognised as cultural leaders rather than political rulers.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. African ceremonial hat (33473567451) — Thomas Quine / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)