The royal clan has selected Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as Oyo’s successor, but the late king’s family says his young son was named heir in a 2022 will.
Fort Portal, Uganda (Running Africa) — A succession dispute has emerged in Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom following the death of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, after a royal clan committee named Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the next monarch despite objections from Oyo’s immediate family.
Kijanangoma, a 56-year-old television presenter with Uganda’s state broadcaster UBC, was selected to become the next Omukama of Tooro.
The royal succession committee said 19 members supported his selection following consultations and consideration of the kingdom’s customary succession practices.
Who Is Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma?
Kijanangoma is a cousin of the late King Oyo and a member of Tooro’s Babiito royal clan.
He is the son of Prince Christopher Paul Kijanangoma and the grandson of the former Tooro monarch, George David Rukidi III.
Unlike constitutional monarchies such as Britain, succession in Tooro traditionally involves selection from within the Babiito royal clan rather than automatically passing to the late monarch’s eldest child.
King Oyo’s Family Challenges Succession Decision
Oyo’s immediate family disputes Kijanangoma’s selection.
His sister, Princess Ruth Komuntale, says Oyo identified his young son as his successor in a will written in 2022. The child had not previously been publicly identified as heir to the Tooro throne.
The competing claims have created uncertainty over who will ultimately succeed Oyo as Omukama.
Queen Best Kemigisa Raises Palace Security Concerns
The dispute has also reached the royal palace, where Queen Best Kemigisa, Oyo’s mother, said security had been tightened around the family.
She described the restrictions as “house arrest” and appealed to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and the military to allow the royal family to mourn and proceed with Oyo’s burial.
Under Uganda’s constitution, the King of Tooro holds no political authority, but the monarch remains an influential cultural figure in western Uganda.
King Oyo to Be Buried in Fort Portal
Oyo became king at just three years old and died aged 34 after receiving cancer treatment in the United States.
He is expected to be laid to rest at the royal tombs in Fort Portal, with thousands of mourners expected to attend.
As preparations for his burial continue, the competing claims involving Kijanangoma and Oyo’s son have placed the future leadership of the historic Tooro Kingdom under intense scrutiny.
