A heated public succession dispute has fractured Uganda’s centuries-old Tooro Kingdom just days before the scheduled burial of its former ruler, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV – the world’s youngest reigning monarch before his death last month at age 34.
King Oyo, who held the cultural throne for more than 30 years, passed away while receiving cancer treatment in the United States. His remains were repatriated to Uganda on Friday, and thousands of mourners are expected to gather this weekend for his interment at the royal tombs near the kingdom’s capital, Fort Portal, in western Uganda.
The conflict emerged after royal clan elders, acting through the kingdom’s official succession committee, named 56-year-old Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma – a popular news anchor for state-owned broadcaster UBC and a cousin of the late king – as the next Omukama, the traditional title for Tooro’s monarch. The committee confirmed that 19 of its members signed the resolution selecting Kijanangoma, a grandson of former Tooro king George David Rukidi III, after a process of extensive consultation and due diligence. UK-based Prince George Desmond Kamurasi was first considered for the role but declined due to existing commitments, the panel added.
Clan leaders argue they hold the customary authority to select a suitable heir from the Babiito royal dynastic clan, a system that differs from rigid hereditary succession frameworks like Britain’s. They reject claims that Oyo’s undisclosed son qualifies as heir, noting that Tooro tradition requires any royal candidate to be formally presented to clan elders and undergo ceremonial preparation before being recognized for the throne – steps that were never completed for the boy.
But the late king’s immediate family has flatly rejected the clan’s decision, saying Oyo left a 2022 will that explicitly named his young son, whose identity has never been made public, as his rightful successor. Princess Ruth Komuntale, Oyo’s sister, has led the opposition, accusing elders of sowing “confusion and turmoil” while the family is still in mourning. “My brother did leave behind an heir to the throne, and that was very clearly stated,” she said, noting the late king left clear alternative succession instructions if his son could not assume the role – a position backed by senior royal Princess Elizabeth Bagaaya.
The late king’s mother, Queen Best Kemigisa, has further escalated the situation by claiming the royal family is effectively under house arrest. She says royal guards were removed from the palace and replaced by army soldiers, who have restricted the family’s movement and blocked visitors. In an emotional appeal, Kemigisa called on military leadership and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni to allow the family to bury their son in peace, urging factions to put succession talks on hold until after the funeral. “I appeal to those fighting over the throne: please, there will be time for all of that. Let us grieve and bury my son King Oyo,” she said.
Notably, President Museveni was the first to publicly confirm the existence of Oyo’s son shortly after the monarch’s death, saying he had been informed of the boy by Queen Kemigisa. No additional details about the child have been released, and he was never publicly presented as heir before Oyo’s death.
Tooro is one of five traditional kingdoms recognized by the Ugandan government. The institutions were abolished by the central government in 1967, but were restored in the 1990s under Museveni’s leadership. While Tooro’s monarch holds no formal political power, they remain a highly influential cultural figure for communities in western Uganda.
It remains unclear when a formal enthronement ceremony will be held, even for Kijanangoma, who was selected by the clan. The succession committee has said any coronation will follow all traditional Tooro customs, but the ongoing family dispute casts deep uncertainty over the kingdom’s future leadership.