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A succession committee of the Babiito royal clan announced on September 9 that Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma would become the next Omukama of Tooro, but the choice has been rejected by the immediate family of the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV who died last month. The 21-member panel, chaired by Omusuuga Charles Kamurasi and including clergy as well as legal figures, said 19 members endorsed the decision after consultations and due diligence. Kijanangoma, 56, a cousin of the deceased ruler and grandson of former king George David Rukidi III, had worked as a news anchor and editor at state broadcaster UBC. The committee stated it held customary authority to select a suitable prince for the role.
Queen Mother Best Kemigisa issued a statement the following day asserting that the announcement disregarded her son’s will, which named his young son whose identity has not been disclosed as the primary heir. Princess Ruth Komuntale, the late king’s sister, told reporters the family had been reviewing the document and preparing consultations with lawyers when the clan moved ahead, creating confusion during the mourning period. Kemigisa added that security forces had been deployed around the palace, restricting family movements and visitors in what she described as house arrest, and she appealed to President Yoweri Museveni and the military to allow peaceful burial arrangements. The will, signed in 2022 and later made public, sets out a fallback order involving other princes if the son cannot assume the throne, according to details published this week.
King Oyo died on August 27 at age 34 while undergoing cancer treatment in the United States, ending a reign that began when he ascended the throne at three years old in 1995 following his father’s sudden death. The monarch, once known as the world’s youngest reigning king, had been formally crowned at 18 and became a prominent cultural leader in western Uganda. His mother recalled in her statement that his own installation as a child monarch had faced similar clan disputes that required court resolution before he prevailed and ruled for more than three decades.
Kijanangoma’s selection followed an earlier reported preference for another prince who reportedly declined the position due to personal responsibilities, prompting the committee to turn to the Kijanangoma lineage under traditional arrangements. Profiles from Ugandan outlets describe the broadcaster as a familiar face to national audiences after nearly a decade at UBC and prior work in Rwanda, with supporters at the Karuzika Palace welcoming an adult leader seen as ready to advance development projects. The Babiito clan resolution signed by the majority emphasised adherence to Tooro customs for the upcoming enthronement once mourning concludes.
The dispute echoes historical tensions within the kingdom, where succession has previously divided the royal family over questions of lineage and authority. Local reports noted that clan elders had no prior knowledge of a biological heir when the king’s death was announced, even as the Tooro prime minister and President Museveni referenced the existence of a prince whose identity would be revealed according to tradition. A government minister attended the will reading at the palace, highlighting national interest in the transition ahead of the burial scheduled for this weekend.
Preparations for King Oyo’s funeral at the Karambi Royal Burial Grounds are proceeding amid the row, with the nine-day mourning period already underway. The succession committee has maintained that its process followed established protocols, while the late king’s relatives have called for unity and respect for the documented will to avoid further turmoil. Resolution of the competing claims could shape the future direction of one of Uganda’s prominent traditional kingdoms.
