A veteran Ugandan journalist, Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma Nyabongo I, is set to be crowned the new King of Tooro Kingdom amid an unresolved dispute over who should have succeeded the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
Kijanangoma, 56, is a former broadcaster and editor who has spent more than two decades working in journalism, including with Uganda Broadcasting Corporation.
His emergence as the new monarch followed the death of King Oyo, who died last month at the age of 34 after battling cancer. Oyo became king in 1995 at just three years old and ruled Tooro for 31 years.
The succession has, however, divided members of the royal family.
According to members of the late king’s family, Oyo left behind a young son and a will indicating that the child should succeed him. The child, who is reportedly in the United States, has not been publicly identified or formally recognised by the 21-member Babiito clan committee responsible for selecting the king.
Oyo’s mother, Queen Best Kemigisa, has criticised the decision to choose Kijanangoma, arguing that her son’s wishes should have been respected.
Describing the development as the announcement of a “second king”, Kemigisa said the situation had been deeply painful for her family.
She also said the celebrations for a new monarch were taking place close to where her son’s body lay.
The Tooro Kingdom’s Information Minister, Charles Mwanguhya, said the alleged son had not been formally presented and that the succession committee therefore proceeded according to established customs.
He said the selection of Kijanangoma meant the throne had moved to another branch of the ruling Babiito clan.
Kijanangoma and the late King Oyo were cousins and both descended from King George David Matthew Kamurasi Rukidi III, who ruled Tooro from 1928 to 1965.
Another member of the royal family, Prince George Desmond Kamurasi, was reportedly considered for the throne but declined, citing other responsibilities.
Following his selection, Kijanangoma pledged to use his experience and contacts from journalism to advance the interests of the people of Tooro.
He said he could not lead the kingdom alone, appealing to residents to work with him.
“I ask you for one thing – they have given me this title as king but I cannot work alone, I have to work with you,” Kijanangoma said.
The Ugandan government has backed his selection, with Attorney General Sam Mayanja saying the coronation could proceed because no formal complaint had been lodged against him.
President Yoweri Museveni is expected to attend the coronation, while his son and military chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has also publicly expressed support for the new king.
Traditional kingdoms in Uganda have no formal political authority but retain considerable cultural influence.
The kingdoms were abolished in 1967 before being restored by Museveni’s government in the 1990s.
Kijanangoma’s path to the throne differs from that of his predecessor. Born in 1970, he grew up in Kidukuru village in Fort Portal before studying mass communication at Makerere University, graduating in 1999.
He subsequently built a broadcasting career spanning more than 20 years, including work in Rwanda and with Uganda Broadcasting Corporation.
His journalism career, he said, has given him relationships that could be useful in his new role.
Kijanangoma’s mother, Assimwe Yusta Kijanangoma, said her son’s upbringing exposed him to the traditions and discipline of the royal family.
She described him as calm and respectful, saying he rarely responds aggressively even when provoked.
The coronation is expected to feature traditional rituals, including a ceremonial walk to the Karuziika royal palace, a symbolic mock battle and blessings from members of the Babiito clan before the new king takes his seat on the throne.
The ceremony comes as questions over the late King Oyo’s alleged heir remain unresolved, leaving the new monarch to begin his reign amid a royal family dispute.
