Royal family rift after popular TV news presenter chosen to succeed Ugandan king

A dispute has erupted within Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom over the selection of a new monarch, days before the burial of the late king, Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV. The 34-year-old king, who had been ruled by cancer in the United States, passed away last month, leaving his succession in question. The royal clan has named Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a 56-year-old popular TV news presenter, as the next Omukama, or king, but Oyo’s family rejects the decision.

Princess Ruth Komuntale, Oyo’s sister, claims the late king had left a 2022 will naming his young son as his successor. The family’s mother, Queen Best Kemigisa, also opposes the choice, stating that royal guards have been withdrawn and soldiers deployed to restrict the royal family’s movement and visitors, describing the atmosphere as “house arrest”.

She urges the army and President Yoweri Museveni to grant the family the right to mourn and bury Oyo in peace on Saturday. Thousands of mourners are expected to attend the burial at the royal tombs near Fort Portal. The situation highlights the unique way in which succession is determined in Tooro, a traditional kingdom within Uganda, unlike Britain where the crown follows a strict line of succession.

Unlike Britain, Tooro’s monarch is chosen from the royal dynastic clan, known as the Babiito, by a succession committee that deemed Kijanangoma, Oyo’s cousin, the most suitable candidate for the throne.