The succession battle in Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom has intensified following the selection of Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the successor to the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
The Babiito Royal Clan announced Kijanangoma as the new king on Wednesday, September 9, after the death of King Oyo on August 27 at the age of 34.
However, the announcement immediately triggered opposition from members of Oyo’s immediate family, who argue that the late king left clear instructions on who should inherit the throne.
Princess Ruth Komuntale, Oyo’s sister, rejected Kijanangoma’s selection and said the late king’s will named his son as the rightful heir.
“My brother did leave behind an heir to the throne, and that was very clearly stated,” Komuntale said, according to Ugandan reports.
She also questioned why the royal clan proceeded with the selection before completing consultations over the reported will.
The dispute has placed the traditional succession process at the centre of a growing debate over whether the late king’s wishes or the customary authority of the Babiito clan should determine the next Tooro monarch.
King Oyo died in the United States while receiving treatment for cancer. He had ruled Tooro for more than three decades after ascending the throne at just three years old in 1995.
His death left the kingdom facing an unusual succession question because Oyo was unmarried but members of the royal family and Ugandan officials later indicated that he had a young son.
President Yoweri Museveni also said he understood from Queen Mother Best Kemigisa that Oyo had left behind a young heir. The issue became central to the succession debate after Oyo’s death.
The Babiito clan, which oversees traditional succession in Tooro, formed a 21-member committee to identify Oyo’s successor and prepare the cultural process leading to the next king.
The committee initially settled on Prince George Desmond Kamurasi, a 36-year-old royal based in the United Kingdom.
Kamurasi, who has also worked as a footballer and coach, reportedly received strong backing from the succession committee. He later declined the throne.
According to Fr Dr Charles Oyo, a member of the succession committee, Kamurasi said he could not commit to the responsibilities that came with becoming king.
“After vetting the candidates, we numbered them. We had priority 1, priority 2 and priority 3,” Fr Dr Oyo said.
He added that the first candidate declined before another candidate accepted the responsibility.
“The first one said, ‘No, I have responsibilities and I am not able to be king. The next one; good enough accepted the responsibility and we gave him the opportunity to be our next king,” he said.
Kamurasi’s decision changed the direction of the succession process and opened the way for Kijanangoma. Kijanangoma is a member of the Tooro royal family and previously worked as a presenter and editor at Uganda Broadcasting Corporation.
He is the son of the late Prince Christopher Paul Kijanangoma and grandson of former Tooro monarch Sir George David Rukidi Kamurasi III.
The Babiito clan selected him after Kamurasi declined the throne. The committee said it relied on traditional succession arrangements and provisions linked to the Tooro royal lineage when making the decision.
Reuters reported that Kijanangoma’s selection contradicted earlier statements from Tooro Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire, who had said Oyo left behind a child who could inherit the throne.
The committee, however, has defended its decision. Fr Dr Charles Oyo explained that traditional recognition plays an important role when determining succession.
He said children born into the royal family undergo recognition by elders, rituals and ceremonies before they can be considered for leadership. He also said a child identified for future leadership undergoes structured upbringing and training to prepare them for the responsibilities of the throne.
The strongest challenge to Kijanangoma’s selection has come from Oyo’s family, which says the late king left a written succession plan.
Reports about a 2022 Last Will and Testament indicate that Oyo named his biological son as the first heir, while also identifying alternative successors if the son could not assume the throne.
Prince Yoweri Komwiswa has been identified in reports as a fallback successor, with another royal, Prince Nyaika Solomon, also reportedly included in the succession plan. Komuntale has maintained that the will should be considered before the kingdom confirms another monarch.
She also said the family had been consulting on the document and had not completed its discussions when the Babiito clan announced Kijanangoma.
The succession controversy is unfolding just days before King Oyo’s burial.
Oyo’s remains returned to Uganda on September 4 and have since lain in state as the kingdom observes a nine-day mourning period.
The late king will be buried on Saturday, September 12, at the Karambi Royal Tombs near Fort Portal. The date carries additional significance because it marks what would have been the 31st anniversary of his coronation.
The official programme includes a final church service at St John’s Cathedral before the funeral procession moves to the royal tombs.
