King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, the 34‑year‑old monarch of the Tooro kingdom who had been undergoing cancer treatment in the United States, died last month and his body was returned to Uganda for burial at the royal tombs near the palace in Fort Portal.
A succession committee of the Babiito royal clan announced on Wednesday that Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a 56‑year‑old UBC television news presenter and grandson of former king George David Rukidi III, had been chosen as the new Omukama, citing “due diligence, consultation and adequate consideration” and a resolution signed by 19 elders.
The announcement was swiftly rejected by the late king’s close family. His sister, Princess Ruth Komuntale, said a will drafted in 2022 clearly named Oyo’s young son – whose identity has never been disclosed – as the first in line, adding that the king had left “very strict instructions” on his succession. She said, “My brother did leave behind an heir to the throne, and that was very clearly stated.”
Queen Best Kemigisa, the king’s mother, appealed to President Yoweri Museveni and the army for an end to what she described as “house arrest”, after royal guards were withdrawn from the palace and soldiers deployed. “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 told reporters.
The dispute has highlighted the complex, non‑hereditary nature of Tooro succession, where the monarch is chosen from the Babiito clan rather than following a fixed line. Culture Minister Henry Tumukunde has said he will oversee mediation between the clan elders and the royal family, with an outcome expected after further consultations with President Museveni and cultural leaders.
Thousands of mourners are expected for the burial, which will take place on Saturday. The Tooro kingdom, abolished in 1967 and restored in the 1990s, remains a cultural institution without formal political power but retains significant influence in western Uganda.
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