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

A territorial conflict has emerged within a Ugandan kingdom as the burial of its former monarch approaches, with the chosen successor by the royal clan rejected by the late king's family. Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who ruled the Tooro Kingdom for over three decades until his death at the age of 34, was going through cancer treatment in the United States when he passed away last month.

The royal clan has appointed Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, 56, a popular TV news presenter, as the next monarch, but Oyo's close family members, including his sister Princess Ruth Komuntale, have strongly objected to this decision. Princess Komuntale claims that the late king left a written will in 2022 naming his young son as his successor, a claim that was confirmed by President Museveni.

In contrast, the royal clan asserts that they have the authority to select a suitable heir from the Babiito, the royal dynastic clan, and have chosen Kijanangoma, Oyo's cousin, as the new "Omukama" of Tooro. The disagreement has sparked accusations of creating "confusion and turmoil" while the family is grieving, as the late king's mother, Queen Best Kemigisa, appeals for her son to be buried in peace without further disturbance.

The family's mother, Queen Best Kemigisa, also reported that royal guards have been withdrawn from the palace, and soldiers have been deployed, effectively placing the royal family under "house arrest" and limiting their access to visitors. The burial is expected to draw thousands of mourners at the royal tombs near the palace in Fort Portal, western Uganda.