FORT PORTAL, Uganda- Former television news anchor Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma has taken the throne of Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom following a disputed succession after the death of King Oyo.
Kijanangoma, 56, took the royal name Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I during coronation ceremonies in Fort Portal on Tuesday, September 29.
The traditional rites included a mock battle for the crown and animal sacrifices.
A 21-member committee of the royal Babiito clan selected him to succeed his cousin.
From broadcasting to royalty
Kijanangoma worked as a news anchor and editor at the state-owned Uganda Broadcasting Corporation before his selection as crown prince on September 9.
His position is that of a traditional monarch within Uganda, rather than king of the country.
Tooro has no sovereign authority, although the institution remains an important part of its people’s cultural identity.
Royal family challenges succession
The transition has divided the royal family.
Queen Mother Best Kemigisa and King Oyo’s sister, Princess Ruth Komuntale, have maintained that the late monarch left a son entitled to succeed him.
Komuntale said her brother’s will named the child as his heir. Supporters of Kijanangoma disputed whether sufficient information had been provided to establish the child’s identity and claim.
At Oyo’s burial on September 12, Kijanangoma performed a traditional succession rite, casting nine coffee berries into the grave at the Karambi Royal Tombs.
The ceremony signalled a transfer of power even as the family’s objections remained unresolved.
Succeeding the former boy king
King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV died from cancer aged 34.
He had become king in 1995 at just three years old, attracting international attention as a child monarch and growing up in the public eye.
During his reign, Oyo supported environmental and health initiatives, including efforts to combat HIV/AIDS.
Following his death, the Church of Uganda announced plans to plant 15 million trees in his memory.
