Royal family rift after popular TV news presenter chosen to succeed Ugandan king
A battle over who should inherit the throne of Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom has broken out days before the burial of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, exposing divisions between royal clan elders and the late monarch’s family.
The dispute centres on two competing claims to the throne. While a royal succession committee has selected Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a well-known television news presenter and member of the royal family, relatives of the late king insist his young son is the rightful heir.
The disagreement surfaced shortly after clan elders announced Kijanangoma as the next Omukama, or king, of Tooro. The decision was presented as one made through customary processes and consultations within the Babiito royal clan.
However, King Oyo’s sister, Princess Ruth Komuntale, swiftly challenged the move, arguing that the late monarch had already settled the question of succession before his death.
“My brother did leave behind an heir to the throne, and that was very clearly stated,” she said.
According to the family, Oyo left written instructions naming his son as successor, a position also backed by senior royal figures close to the late king.
The controversy has intensified an already emotional period for the kingdom, with Queen Mother Best Kemigisa appealing for attention to remain on preparations for Oyo’s funeral rather than the succession fight.
“I appeal to those fighting over the throne: please, there will be time for all of that,” she said. “Let us grieve and bury my son King Oyo.”
At the heart of the disagreement is a question of tradition. Representatives of the succession committee argue that reports of the king’s son are not enough on their own, maintaining that any potential heir must first be formally introduced and recognised through established royal customs before being considered for the throne.
The uncertainty leaves the future leadership of the cultural kingdom unresolved as thousands prepare to attend the burial of King Oyo, who died last month while undergoing treatment in the United States after more than three decades on the throne.
For now, the focus remains on the funeral, but the competing claims suggest the struggle over Tooro’s next monarch may continue long after the late king is laid to rest.
Source: BBC
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