Uganda lays 'boy king' Oyo to rest amid succession row

Uganda has concluded a nine-day mourning period for King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, with his funeral set to take place in Fort Portal on Saturday. Oyo, who became king as a child in 1995, passed away last month at the age of 34 due to cancer. His death has sparked a contentious succession dispute. The king's casket, draped in the Tooro flag, was carried in a procession led by royal guards in orange tunics.

The funeral ceremony was to be attended by numerous mourners, including high-ranking Ugandan officials, and was to be held at St. John's Cathedral. Following the service, Oyo was to be buried at the royal tombs, where tradition dictates that the successor would toss nine coffee berries into the grave. However, the identity of the successor remained uncertain until late Friday, when a royal clan committee selected Oyo's cousin, Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, 54, as the new king.

Kijanangoma, a news anchor and editor at the state broadcaster, is the favorite among those supporting the succession, but the late king's immediate family claims his will stipulates that a son from an out-of-wedlock relationship must succeed him. Moreover, social media has raised suspicions about the existence of at least two potential heirs, who are alleged to be Oyo's children.

Those backing Kijanangoma argue that the king's family has yet to provide concrete evidence regarding the supposed son, while traditionalists favor an adult monarch. The burial ceremony is expected to be marred by the ongoing succession dispute, which has hindered the family's ability to mourn Oyo's passing.