Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I has been enthroned as the new Omukama of Tooro, succeeding the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who died in the United States on August 27, 2026.
Nyabongo I, whose birth name is Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, was formally crowned at Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal on Tuesday, September 29, following a night of traditional rituals that marked his symbolic takeover of the royal seat.
The enthronement makes him the 13th Omukama of Tooro, according tO the Tooro Kingdom’s official succession programme.
The coronation followed a dramatic midnight procession on Monday in which hundreds of people gathered at Rwengoma Palace on Bwamba Road in Fort Portal City to accompany the king-designate to Karuziika Palace.
The men-only procession, illuminated by reed torches, retraced an important Tooro tradition through which a new king makes his way to the royal seat.
The procession made nine traditional stopovers along the Fort Portal-Bundibugyo route before reaching Karuziika, where Nyabongo participated in rituals associated with the transfer of royal authority.
At Mugabante, the main entrance to Karuziika Palace, the king-designate took part in a mock battle, a traditional ritual symbolising the transfer of authority. He later entered the palace to participate in further rites through the night.
The royal drums and regalia, which had been turned upside down following Oyo’s death, were also restored to their upright position, marking the transition from mourning to a new reign.
On Tuesday morning, Nyabongo left Karuziika for St John’s Cathedral, Kabarole, where he attended a church service presided over by the Bishop of Rwenzori Diocese, Rt Rev Reuben Kisembo.
He later returned to Karuziika Palace for the formal coronation, where President Yoweri Museveni attended as chief guest. The programme included traditional rites, speeches and the formal crowning of the new Omukama.
From newsroom to throne
Nyabongo’s rise to the Tooro throne marks a dramatic transition from journalism to traditional leadership.
Before his selection as successor to Oyo, Kijanangoma was known to many Ugandans as a journalist, editor and news anchor at Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC).
A member of the Babiito royal clan and a cousin of the late king, Kijanangoma studied at Kinyamasika Primary School before joining St Leo’s College Kyegobe.
He later graduated from Makerere University with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication in 1999 and pursued a career in broadcasting, taking on roles in reporting, editing and news presentation.
His selection followed Oyo’s death at the age of 34.
A 21-member Babiito succession committee selected Kijanangoma on September 9, 2026, at Karuziika Palace. The Rukurato Rw’Obukama Bwa Tooro, the kingdom’s Supreme Council, subsequently endorsed the selection at Muchwa on September 15.
Following the completion of the succession process, Kijanangoma assumed the royal name Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I.
A new chapter after Oyo
Nyabongo succeeds Oyo, who became Omukama in 1995 at the age of three and reigned for more than three decades before his death.
His death triggered a succession dispute, with members of his immediate family raising questions over the process and the possible existence of a son who, they argued, should have a claim to the throne.
The Babiito royal clan, which is responsible for selecting the Omukama, maintained that it followed Tooro’s established customs and traditions in choosing Kijanangoma.
The government subsequently recognised the succession process and confirmed the September 29 coronation.
The coronation now ushers Tooro into a new reign, with Nyabongo taking over an institution that remains an important symbol of Batooro cultural identity despite traditional kingdoms having no political power under Uganda’s constitutional system.
For Nyabongo, the journey from the newsroom to Karuziika Palace has therefore come full circle, transforming a longtime broadcaster and member of the Babiito royal family into the new custodian of the Tooro Kingdom.
