Uganda Kingdom Faces Succession Dispute Days Before King Oyo’s Burial

A succession dispute has erupted in Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom days before the burial of its late monarch, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who died last month at the age of 34.

The late king, who ruled the traditional kingdom for more than three decades, died in the United States while undergoing cancer treatment.

The dispute centres on who should succeed Oyo, with royal clan elders naming his cousin, Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, as the next Omukama, or king.

However, Oyo’s immediate family has rejected the decision, insisting that the late monarch’s wishes should determine the succession.

His sister, Princess Ruth Komuntale, said Oyo left a will in 2022 naming his young son, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, as his successor.

“I appeal to those fighting over the throne: please, there will be time for all of that,” she said. “Let us grieve and bury my son King Oyo.”

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The announcement by the royal clan has deepened tensions within the kingdom, with the succession committee insisting that it acted within its customary authority.

At a press conference in Fort Portal, the kingdom’s capital, the committee announced Kijanangoma, 56, a news presenter with the state-run Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), as the next monarch.

The elders said the customary process allowed the Babiito, the royal dynastic clan, to select a suitable prince to become “the Omukama”.

The succession panel said it had undertaken “due diligence, consultation and adequate consideration” before selecting Kijanangoma, adding that 19 members signed the resolution.

Kijanangoma is the son of Prince Christopher Paul Kijanangoma and grandson of former Tooro king George David Rukidi III.

The committee also said UK-based Prince George Desmond Kamurasi had initially been considered for the throne but declined, citing other responsibilities.

It has not announced a date for Kijanangoma’s enthronement, saying the ceremony would be conducted according to the traditions and customs of the Tooro Kingdom.

But Oyo’s family has challenged the selection, maintaining that the late king had given “very strict instructions” on how his succession should be handled.

Princess Komuntale said the 2022 will named Oyo’s son as first in line and provided alternatives in the event that the child was unable to assume the throne.

Her position was supported by her aunt, senior royal Princess Elizabeth Bagaaya.

Clan representatives, however, have questioned whether the reported existence of Oyo’s son is enough to establish his eligibility under Tooro tradition.

They argued that the child had not been formally presented to the royal clan as required by custom.

BBC also reported that a member of the succession committee told Uganda’s NTV that a royal child must first be formally introduced to the elders before being considered for future leadership.

The official added that the child would then be required to undergo ceremonies and other preparations as part of the traditional process.

The dispute comes as preparations intensify for Oyo’s burial, with thousands of mourners expected to gather at the royal tombs near the palace in Fort Portal, western Uganda.

His body was returned to Uganda from the United States on Friday ahead of the funeral.

Tooro is one of Uganda’s traditional kingdoms. Although its monarch has no formal political authority, the institution remains an important cultural force in western Uganda.

Uganda abolished its traditional kingdoms in 1967 before they were restored in the 1990s under President Yoweri Museveni. The monarchs are recognised as cultural leaders rather than political rulers.

Unlike the British monarchy, which follows an established line of succession, the Tooro monarch is selected from the Babiito royal clan, making the current dispute particularly complex.