The succession of Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom has been thrown into uncertainty after members of the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV’s family rejected the announcement of Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as his successor.
Princess Ruth Nsemere Komuntale, the late king’s sister, said the royal family had not completed consultations on her brother’s will, which she said contains clear instructions on who should succeed him.
“My brother left behind an heir to the throne,” Komuntale told journalists at Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal, adding that the announcement of a new king was not part of what the family had discussed.
She questioned why the Babiito royal clan had announced a successor before lawyers had been consulted on the contents of the will.
Komuntale declined to disclose details of the document, describing it as a confidential legal matter.
Her position was backed by Princess Elizabeth Bagaya, another senior member of the royal family, who urged the parties involved to respect the family’s position.
Queen Mother Best Kemigisa also objected to the succession announcement in a letter, saying the clan’s decision was contrary to the late king’s will.
She appealed to the Babiito clan to give the family time to mourn and bury King Oyo before proceeding with the succession process.
“I also appeal to those fighting over the throne: please, there will be time for all that. Let us grieve and bury my son King Oyo,” she wrote.
The dispute erupted hours after leaders of the Babiito royal clan announced Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the next king at Karuziika Palace on Wednesday.
Monsignor Isaiah Mayombo read the statement on behalf of the clan, saying the selection followed consultations and due diligence.
King Oyo died on August 27, aged 34, after undergoing cancer treatment in the United States. His funeral is scheduled for Saturday in Fort Portal, where tens of thousands of mourners are expected to gather.
Prince Edward, a former presenter and editor with Uganda Broadcasting Corporation, is a cousin of the late king.
His selection came after Prince George Desmond Kamurasi, a London-based footballer who had reportedly been chosen by the succession committee, withdrew from consideration and declined the throne.
The royal family’s objection has now raised questions over whether Prince Edward’s selection will be accepted across the kingdom, particularly as preparations for King Oyo’s burial continue.
Tooro is one of Uganda’s traditional kingdoms and was restored in 1993 after the abolition of cultural institutions in 1967. Although traditional kingdoms have no constitutional political power, they retain significant cultural and social influence.
King Oyo became the world’s youngest reigning monarch when he ascended the Tooro throne aged three in 1995.
His death has left the kingdom facing a rare succession dispute at a time when it is preparing to bid farewell to one of its longest-serving monarchs.