The succession of the late Omukama of Tooro, Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, has been thrown ino uncertainty after his family rejected the selection of Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the next king, insisting that the late monarch’s son is the rightful heir.
The family says King Oyo left a will naming his son as the next heir to the Tooro throne and providing for alternative successors should his preferred heir be unable to take over.
Princess Ruth Komuntale, a sister of the late king, said the family was therefore surprised by Wednesday’s announcement by members of the 21-member succession committee declaring Kijanangoma the new Omukama.
Speaking to journalists at Karuzika Royal Palace, Komuntale said the succession announcement was made before the royal family had completed consultations over the late king’s will.
“I would like to refute that information. It is inaccurate, it is incorrect. Just to give you a little background, my brother left behind a will, which stated very, very clearly that the next person in line is his son. That’s the next heir to the throne,” Komuntale said.
She said the will did not stop at naming the preferred heir but also set out a succession plan in case he could not assume the throne.
“He also left very strict instructions on any other successors who might take over, just in case, you know, of a plan B,” she said.
Komuntale said the royal family had already begun consultations on the will and succession arrangements, including a meeting with Gen David Sejusa Tumukunde and Omusuuga Charles Kamurasi, alongside other members of the Babiito clan.
“We had a very good, constructive meeting. We went over the will, and the plan was actually to meet again tomorrow with some lawyers to go over the will one more time before the next successor is actually proclaimed and is mentioned,” she said.
It was against this background, she said, that the announcement of Kijanangoma came as a surprise to the family.
“So what happened today honestly really took us by surprise. We had no idea that it was going to happen. We’re very confused,” Komuntale said.
The princess also questioned the timing of the announcement, arguing that the family had not yet buried King Oyo and was still mourning his death.
“It is very unfortunate that we have not even buried my brother yet, and they’re bringing all this confusion and all this turmoil. We can’t even mourn my brother in peace,” she said.
Komuntale appealed to the people of Tooro to remain calm and united, saying the late king would not have wanted his death to be followed by division.
“I just want to call out to the people of Tooro, just to please stay calm. My brother was a very peaceful and calm person. So please, just at least to honour him, stop all this drama and this disunity,” she said.
“I’m sure he’s very unhappy right now, looking down in disappointment. So please, for the sake of my brother, for the love of God, let us stay peaceful and just stay united as we continue to progress and move forward in the decision-making,” she added.
Princess Elizabeth Bagaya, an aunt to Komuntale, also backed the family’s position and questioned the authority of those who announced Kijanangoma as king.
“I stand behind you, nobody has the authority to do anything, you’re the first and foremost,” Bagaya said.
The disagreement adds another twist to an already contested succession process that began following King Oyo’s death on August 27, 2026, at the age of 34 while receiving cancer treatment in the United States.
Earlier, journalist Andrew Mwenda announced that the succession committee had selected Prince Desmond Kamurasi as the new Omukama. The announcement was met with opposition from sections of the royal family and the Tooro community.
Two days later, members of the 21-member succession committee announced Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the new Omukama.
Kijanangoma, a former UBC journalist, is the son of the late Prince Christopher Paul Kijanangoma and grandson of former Omukama Sir George David Rukidi III.
King Oyo ascended the Tooro throne in 1995 at the age of three, becoming the world’s youngest reigning monarch at the time. He ruled the kingdom for more than three decades and became one of Uganda’s most prominent cultural figures.
His death has now opened a potentially contentious succession battle, with his family challenging the committee’s decision and pointing to a will they say clearly identifies the next heir to the throne.
