In Tooro, one of the traditional kingdoms still preserved in the west of the Republic of Uganda, being king does not give you formal political authority, but it does make you a relevant cultural and social figure. Just for that, the recent and premature death of its monarch — until now the youngest in the world on a throne, which he ascended at 3 years old, in 1995 — has led to a succession war with an uncertain outcome. Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV died on August 27 at the age of 34, after ruling the kingdom for more than three decades and while being treated for cancer in the United States. With his body repatriated to Uganda from the United States last Friday, September 4, and funeral preparations underway, scheduled for next Saturday, the choice of his successor has pitted his family against the dynastic clan responsible for selecting him.
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The elders of the succession committee have named the popular news presenter Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, 56, as the next monarch. This appointment, announced on the evening of Wednesday, September 9, has been rejected by Oyo’s family, who claim that the late king had already chosen his youngest son as successor, whose identity has never been revealed, in a 2022 will. “My brother left an heir to the throne, and that was very clear,” said Princess Ruth Komuntale, who also accused the clan of creating “confusion and unrest” while the family is still in mourning.
His mother, Queen Best Kemigisa, has described the current situation of the royal family as “house arrest,” stating that the royal guard has been withdrawn from the palace and soldiers have been deployed, thus limiting their mobility and ability to receive visitors. “I call on those disputing the throne: please, there will be time for all that. Let us mourn and bury my son, King Oyo,” said the queen mother, who according to the BBC has also appealed to the military leadership and the President of the Republic of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, in power for 40 years, to allow the burial to take place peacefully.
The kingdom’s prime minister, Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki, revealed the existence of Oyo’s son in a post on the social network X on August 27, in which he announced the king’s death. He said then that the late monarch left “a prince as his heir, whose identity will be formally revealed at the appropriate time.” But he did not add more details about this supposed heir to the throne who has never been presented in the kingdom. It was also a kingdom spokesperson who shared a copy of the relevant part of the will defended by the family, dated September 14, 2022, which reads: “I hereby declare and order that if, at the date of my death, I am survived by a son legitimately recognized as my biological son, I name him my heir to the throne of the kingdom of Tooro.”
It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that I announce the passing of His Majesty the Omukama of Tooro, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, at approximately 10:00 p.m. this evening.
— Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki (@toorokingdompm) August 27, 2026
This is an immeasurable loss to the Royal Family, the people of Tooro and the nation…
Unaware of this, at a press conference held in Fort Portal, the kingdom’s capital, the royal clan’s succession committee announced the news presenter from the state broadcaster UBC and Oyo’s cousin, Kijanangoma, as the next monarch. As the BBC explains, according to the system they follow, there are no lines of succession as such, and the next bearer of the crown is chosen from among the Babiito, the royal dynastic clan. These elders consider themselves legitimized as traditional authority to choose a suitable prince to become “the Omukama,” as the local title of the king of Tooro is known. Based on these traditions, the succession committee has stated that it has carried out “due diligence, consultations, and proper consideration” before selecting Kijanangoma, a resolution signed by 19 members.
Kijanangoma is the son of Prince Christopher Paul Kijanangoma and grandson of the former king of Tooro, George David Rukidi III. Before being chosen by the clan, he had a rival for the throne, George Desmond Kamurasi, a footballer from one of the best-known amateur clubs in the United Kingdom and a contender who, according to the succession committee, declined the offer citing other responsibilities.
According to the BBC, the royal dynastic clan has also responded to the claims of Oyo’s family, who at another press conference denounced the appointment and asked to respect the written wishes of the late king; that is, succession by his son. Princess Komuntale stated that her brother had left “very strict instructions,” even establishing alternatives in case the child could not access the throne. The elders responded by claiming that reports about the birth of an Oyo son are insufficient and that the child has never been formally presented to the royal clan, as tradition dictates. A committee member told the Ugandan channel NTV that a royal child must be formally presented to the elders and then undergo ceremonies and other preparations to qualify for future leadership.
On the other hand, Andrew Mwenda, a prominent Ugandan journalist related to the royal family, has explained that Oyo’s family had not been able to present a photo of the supposed son, refusing to reveal details about the child’s mother’s family. He added that, in Tooro, the son of a monarch can only succeed him if he is born of a queen officially married to the king. Oyo, who was a UN goodwill ambassador and advocated the fight against AIDS, never married.
Recently, Armstrong called for calm among all involved in the dispute this Thursday, also from X: “There will be time to examine the will, listen to those who defend a different position, and consider our customs, applicable law, and appropriate institutions to determine the succession,” he wrote. “That process must be carried out calmly and credibly, not through contradictory announcements, confrontations, or attempts to establish facts on the ground while our king still awaits burial,” he added. Meanwhile, it is still unknown when the enthronement will take place, although the committee has already warned that it will be carried out according to the traditions and customs of the kingdom of Tooro.
Uganda abolished its traditional kingdoms in 1967, but in the 1990s, under President Museveni’s mandate, they were restored. As for the burial of the late king, thousands of people are expected to attend the royal tombs near the palace in Fort Portal.