Uganda's King Oyo buried amid calls for unity over his successor

Uganda's King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, once the world's youngest reigning monarch, was laid to rest on Saturday, days after a dispute erupted over his successor. The 34-year-old had governed the Tooro kingdom in western Uganda since the age of three until his death last month while receiving cancer treatment in the United States.

Tooro, one of Uganda's traditional kingdoms, was reinstated in the 1990s under President Museveni's rule. Monarchs within these kingdoms are considered cultural leaders rather than political rulers.

Thousands of mourners lined the streets as Oyo's casket was transported to the royal tombs in Fort Portal, where a private ceremony was held. At the age of a toddler, Oyo was appointed as Tooro's king, and according to Guinness World Records, he served as the world's youngest monarch during his reign. TV news presenter Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, who was named as the next monarch by clan elders, reportedly placed nine coffee beans in Oyo's grave, a ritual denoting the end of one reign and the beginning of another.

However, days before Oyo's burial, his family rejected Kijanangoma as the new king of Tooro. Oyo's sister, Princess Ruth Komuntale, revealed that the late king had left a will in 2022 naming his young son as his successor, though the boy's identity has not been disclosed. Meanwhile, Oyo's mother, Queen Best Kemigisa, stated that royal guards had been removed from the palace, and soldiers had been deployed, restricting the royal family's movement and their ability to receive visitors, which she referred to as "house arrest."

On Saturday, Archbishop Stephen Kazimba Mugalu of the Church of Uganda urged unity among mourners. "Words spoken in grief can cause pain, division, and conflict. It can even destroy the legacy of the king we are mourning," he told the crowd. Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni also called for the matter to be resolved in a way that fosters unity over division.

The group responsible for the succession defended their choice of Kijanangoma. Omusuuga Charles Karumasi, head of the Babiito royal clan, said that everything had been done in accordance with the culture and traditions of Tooro, and that all must preserve peace and serenity.