A succession dispute has erupted in Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom following the selection of a television news presenter, Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, as the next traditional ruler, despite objections from the family of the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
Kijanangoma, 56, was announced as the new Omukama of Tooro by the kingdom’s royal clan elders on Wednesday, days before the burial of King Oyo, who died last month at the age of 34 after undergoing cancer treatment in the United States.
However, Oyo’s family has rejected the decision, saying the late monarch left a will in 2022 naming his young son as his successor.
Oyo’s sister, Princess Ruth Komuntale, said the late king had clearly stated his wishes regarding the succession.
“My brother did leave behind an heir to the throne, and that was very clearly stated,” she said.
Komuntale accused those behind the new announcement of creating “confusion and turmoil” at a time when the royal family was mourning the death of the king.
The late king’s mother, Queen Best Kemigisa, also appealed for the dispute to be put aside until after Oyo’s burial, which is scheduled for Saturday.
“I appeal to those fighting over the throne: please, there will be time for all of that,” she said. “Let us grieve and bury my son King Oyo.”
The queen mother also alleged that royal guards had been withdrawn from the palace and soldiers deployed, restricting the movement of members of the royal family and their access to visitors.
She described the situation as “house arrest” and appealed to President Yoweri Museveni and Uganda’s military leadership to allow the family to mourn peacefully.
The succession committee, however, maintains that it acted in accordance with Tooro customs.
According to the committee, Kijanangoma was selected after consultations and what it described as adequate consideration and due diligence, with 19 members signing the resolution.
Kijanangoma is Oyo’s cousin, the son of Prince Christopher Paul Kijanangoma and a grandson of former Tooro monarch George David Rukidi III. He is also a presenter with Uganda’s state broadcaster, UBC.
The dispute centres partly on the status of Oyo’s son, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed. President Museveni revealed the existence of the child shortly after the king’s death.
Oyo’s family says the 2022 will named the boy as heir and also provided alternative succession arrangements if he was unable to assume the throne.
But representatives of the royal clan argue that the child cannot automatically be recognised as successor because he was not formally presented to the clan elders in accordance with Tooro tradition.
A member of the succession committee told Uganda’s NTV that a royal child must first be formally introduced to the elders before being considered for future leadership, followed by the necessary traditional ceremonies and preparations.
Unlike the British monarchy, where succession generally follows an established hereditary order, the Tooro king is selected from members of the Babiito royal dynasty.
The Ugandan government has now intervened in the dispute. Culture Minister Henry Tumukunde is expected to lead mediation efforts, with consultations involving President Museveni and other cultural leaders.
The Tooro Kingdom is one of Uganda’s traditional kingdoms. Although its monarch has no constitutional political authority, the Omukama remains an important cultural figure in western Uganda.
Traditional kingdoms were abolished in Uganda in 1967 but restored in the 1990s under Museveni, with their rulers recognised as cultural rather than political leaders.
Thousands of mourners are expected to attend King Oyo’s burial at the royal tombs near the palace in Fort Portal on Saturday.
