A television news presenter has been selected by royal clan elders to succeed the late King Oyo as monarch of Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom, triggering a dispute within the royal family.
Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, 56, was chosen by a succession committee following the death of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
However, members of the late king’s family have rejected the decision, saying Oyo left instructions naming his young son as his successor.
The dispute comes as preparations continue for King Oyo’s burial in western Uganda.
Tooro king succession sparks disagreement
Kijanangoma is a news presenter with Uganda’s state-run broadcaster UBC and a member of Tooro’s royal family.
According to the BBC, clan elders said they had the customary authority to select a suitable prince to become the Omukama, the traditional title of the Tooro monarch.
The succession committee said it conducted consultations before reaching its decision. Nineteen members signed the resolution selecting Kijanangoma.
He is the son of Prince Christopher Paul Kijanangoma and the grandson of former Tooro king George David Rukidi III.
Another potential candidate, footballer Prince George Desmond Kamurasi, declined the throne because of other responsibilities, according to the succession committee.
King Oyo’s family rejects selection
The late king’s family has challenged Kijanangoma’s selection.
Princess Ruth Komuntale, Oyo’s sister, said her brother left a will in 2022 naming his young son as his successor.
The child’s identity has not been publicly disclosed.
President Yoweri Museveni previously revealed the existence of Oyo’s son after the king’s death. However, the boy had not previously been publicly presented as the king’s heir.
Clan representatives argue that reports of the child are not enough under Tooro tradition.
They say a royal child must be formally presented to clan elders and undergo traditional ceremonies before being considered for future leadership.
How Tooro chooses its king
Succession in the Tooro Kingdom does not operate through a simple automatic line of inheritance.
Instead, the monarch is selected from the Babiito royal dynasty according to the kingdom’s traditions.
Uganda’s traditional monarchs do not hold formal political power. However, they remain influential cultural figures within their communities.
Uganda abolished its traditional kingdoms in 1967 before restoring them in the 1990s.
King Oyo ruled Tooro for more than three decades after ascending the throne when he was three years old. He died last month aged 34 while receiving cancer treatment in the United States.
Meanwhile, Uganda’s Culture Minister Henry Tumukunde has said he will oversee mediation efforts over the succession dispute.
It remains unclear when an enthronement will take place.