Hundreds of people gathered at Rwengoma Palace on Bwamba Road in Fort Portal City last night to accompany Omukama-designate Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I on a symbolic midnight trek to Karuziika Palace ahead of his coronation today.
The men-only procession, illuminated by reed torches, retraced an important Tooro tradition through which the king-designate makes his way to the royal seat.
The procession made nine traditional stopovers along the Fort Portal-Bundibugyo route before arriving at Karuziika Palace, where Nyabongo took part in a series of traditional rituals.
At Mugabante, the king-designate participated in a mock battle before proceeding with the other rituals associated with the installation of a new Omukama.
He later turned the royal drums upright, marking another significant stage in the traditional proceedings.
The rituals culminated in the arrival of Nyabongo at Karuziika Palace, as Tooro prepared for the formal coronation of its 13th Omukama. Nyabongo, whose birth name is Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, is no stranger to public life.
Before being selected as successor to the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, he was known to many Ugandans as a journalist, editor and news anchor at Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC).
His journey from the newsroom to the Tooro throne has made his succession particularly notable.
Kijanangoma is a member of the Babiito royal clan and a cousin of the late King Oyo. He was selected by a 21-member Babiito succession committee on September 9, 2026, following Oyo’s death on August 27.
The Tooro Kingdom Supreme Council subsequently endorsed his selection on September 15 at Muchwa Kingdom headquarters in Fort Portal. The kingdom announced that he would reign under the name Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I.
Kijanangoma’s educational background is also rooted in Fort Portal. He attended Kinyamasika Primary School before joining St Leo’s College Kyegobe for secondary education. He later graduated from Makerere University with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication in 1999.
His professional career took him into journalism, where he worked in several roles at UBC, including reporting, editing, presenting and anchoring news.
His elevation to the throne therefore represents a dramatic transition from a career in journalism to the leadership of one of Uganda’s historic traditional institutions.
A new chapter for Tooro
Nyabongo succeeds Oyo, who became Omukama in 1995 at the age of three and died on August 27, 2026, aged 34.
Oyo’s death brought an end to more than three decades of his reign and triggered a succession process within the Babiito royal clan.
The selection of Kijanangoma, however, was followed by disagreement within the late king’s immediate family over who should succeed him. Members of Oyo’s family have questioned the succession process, while the Babiito clan has maintained that the selection followed Tooro’s traditional succession procedures.
The government has since announced that the coronation of Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I will take place today, September 29, at Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal.
Coronation day
After last night’s traditional trek, the king-designate was this morning transported from Karuziika Palace to St John’s Cathedral, Kabarole, for a church service presided over by the Bishop of Rwenzori Diocese, Rt Rev Reuben Kisembo.
The service forms part of the programme leading to his formal installation. After the service, Nyabongo is expected to return to Karuziika Palace for the coronation ceremonies.
The final coronation programme includes traditional rites, the formal enthronement and an address by President Yoweri Museveni, who has confirmed his attendance as chief guest.
For Nyabongo, the journey from Rwengoma to Karuziika is more than a ceremonial procession. It marks the transition of a longtime journalist and member of the Babiito royal family into the institution he is expected to lead as the new Omukama of Tooro.
