Kamurasi was selected on Friday, September 4, 2026, during a meeting of the 21-member Royal Succession Committee held at Fort Motel in Fort Portal City.
Of the 21 committee members, 18 attended the meeting, with 15 voting in favour of Kamurasi.
The committee, chaired by Omusuuga Charles Akiiki Kamurasi, was selected by the Royal Clan of Tooro, the Ababiito, on August 28, 2026, to oversee the succession process following the death of King Oyo.
The committee has been meeting daily since Monday as part of consultations to identify the next occupant of the Tooro throne. On Friday, the members met from 11am to 3pm before reaching the decision to select Kamurasi.
George Desmond Kamurasi is the son of George Desmond “Jimmy” Mugenyi, the younger brother of the late King Patrick David Matthew Olimi Kaboyo II.
According to the succession information presented by the committee, Kamurasi was second in line to succeed his uncle, Olimi Kaboyo II, in accordance with the will of their late father, King George Rukidi III.
His selection comes days after the death of King Oyo, who had ruled Tooro for more than three decades after ascending the throne as a three-year-old in 1995.
The succession process has attracted considerable attention following the death of King Oyo, particularly after questions emerged over who would succeed him.
The 21-member committee was established to guide the kingdom through the traditional succession process and consult members of the Babiito royal clan before identifying the next king.
According to reports from the committee, its decision followed consultations with key stakeholders within the kingdom. The formal announcement of the new king is expected to be made to the Babiito clan leaders in accordance with Tooro customs.
The selection of Kamurasi also comes as the kingdom prepares to bury King Oyo on September 12, 2026, at the Karuziika Palace. The date coincides with the 31st anniversary of Oyo’s coronation in 1995.
King Oyo’s death has plunged Tooro into mourning, with the kingdom observing a nine-day cultural mourning period leading to his burial.
The late king died in the United States after a period of medical treatment. His body arrived in Uganda on Friday and was received by President Yoweri Museveni at Entebbe International Airport before being flown to Kyegegwa and transported by road towards Tooro.
The selection of Kamurasi now sets the stage for the next chapter in the history of the Tooro monarchy, although the formal installation and coronation will follow the kingdom’s traditional and cultural procedures.
