A bitter succession dispute has erupted in one of Uganda’s traditional kingdoms, days before the burial of its late king, who until his death had been the world’s youngest reigning monarch.
King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who ruled the Tooro Kingdom for more than three decades, was undergoing cancer treatment in the US when he died last month aged 34.
Royal clan elders have named popular TV news presenter Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, 56, as the next monarch, but this has been rejected by Oyo’s close family.
His sister, Princess Ruth Komuntale, said the late king had left a will written in 2022 naming his young son, whose identity has never been disclosed, as his successor.
“My brother did leave behind an heir to the throne, and that was very clearly stated,” she said, accusing those behind the announcement on Wednesday night of creating “confusion and turmoil” while the family was still grieving.
Meanwhile, the late king’s mother, Queen Best Kemigisa, has said royal guards have been withdrawn from the palace and soldiers deployed, restricting the royal family’s movement and their ability to receive visitors, describing the situation as “house arrest”.
She appealed to the army’s leadership and President Yoweri Museveni to allow the family to mourn and bury Oyo in peace on Saturday.
“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.”
Thousands of mourners are expected to attend the burial at the royal tombs near the palace in Fort Portal in western Uganda.
His body was returned to Uganda from the US on Friday, and preparations for the funeral are under way.
Tooro is one of Uganda’s traditional kingdoms. Its monarch has no formal political authority but remains an important cultural figure in western Uganda.
Uganda abolished its traditional kingdoms in 1967, but they were restored in the 1990s under President Museveni. Their monarchs are recognised as cultural leaders rather than political rulers.
The existence of Oyo’s son was first publicly revealed in the days after the king’s death by President Museveni, who said he had been told about the young boy by the Queen Mother.
No other details have officially been disclosed, and he had not previously been presented as Oyo’s heir.
The disagreement has exposed the complicated way in which succession works in Tooro.
Unlike Britain’s monarchy, where the crown passes according to an established line of succession, Tooro’s monarch is chosen from the Babiito, the royal dynastic clan.
At a press conference in the kingdom’s capital of Fort Portal, the royal clan’s succession committee announced Kijanangoma, Oyo’s cousin and a news presenter at the state-run broadcaster UBC, as monarch.
The clan elders said they had the customary authority to choose a suitable prince to become “the Omukama”, the local title for the king of Tooro.
The succession panel said it had carried out “due diligence, consultation and adequate consideration” before selecting Kijanangoma, with 19 members signing the resolution.
Kijanangoma is the son of Prince Christopher Paul Kijanangoma and a grandson of former Tooro king George David Rukidi III.
Another royal, UK-based Prince George Desmond Kamurasi, was initially considered for the throne but declined, citing other responsibilities, according to the succession committee.
It is not yet clear when the enthronement will take place, but the committee said it would be conducted in accordance with the traditions and customs of the Tooro Kingdom.
Oyo’s family quickly called a press conference to denounce the announcement, insisting the late king’s written wishes should be respected.
Princess Komuntale said Oyo had left “very strict instructions” on his succession, naming his son as first in line and also setting out alternatives if the boy could not take the throne, a position backed by her aunt, senior royal Princess Elizabeth Bagaaya.
But clan representatives said that reports of Oyo having a son were not sufficient because the child had not been formally presented to the royal clan as dictated by Tooro tradition.
One committee member told Uganda’s NTV station that a royal child must be formally introduced to elders and then undergo ceremonies and other preparations if they are to be considered for future leadership.
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