Uganda’s King Oyo buried as debate over successor heats up

Sat Sep 12 2026 18:23:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

In the wake of King Oyo’s death, a funeral in Fort Portal sets the stage for a succession clash that could fracture Uganda’s historic Tooro kingdom.

King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who at 34 had claimed the throne of Tooro since age three, was laid to rest in a solemn ceremony at the royal tombs in Fort Portal. His passing last month while receiving cancer treatment in the United States triggered a dispute over who will inherit the throne. Princess Ruth Komuntale says a 2022 will names the king’s young son, while clan elders have chosen TV presenter Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the new monarch, a move rejected by Oyo’s own family. The funeral featured a coffee‑bean rite symbolising the end of one reign and the commencement of another. Royal guards were withdrawn and soldiers installed, a move described as “house arrest.” Both the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda and President Yoweri Museveni urged unity, warning that division would mar the legacy of the late king.

Uganda’s King Oyo buried as debate over successor heats up

King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who assumed the Tooro throne at age three, was laid to rest on Saturday in a private ceremony at the royal tombs in Fort Portal. A large procession of mourners thronged the streets as his casket was carried to the site, where the king’s family and royal guards paid their final respects.

The king’s death last month was the result of a cancer battle he fought while in the United States. At 34 he was the youngest reigning monarch in the world, a fact noted by Guinness World Records, and a symbol of his people’s resilience.

Tooro was one of Uganda’s traditional kingdoms that were abolished in 1967 and re-established under President Museveni in the 1990s. Its monarchs hold cultural, not political, authority, which sets the stage for longstanding debates about succession.

During the funeral a coinering ritual unfolded: Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a TV presenter selected by clan elders, cast nine coffee beans into the grave, marking the transition from one reign to the next. Yet Oyo’s sister, Princess Ruth Komuntale, maintains that the deceased king’s 2022 will names his young son as the heir, a claim the family says went unrecognized.

The family’s frustrations over the choice of Kijanangoma amplified when royal guards were withdrawn from the palace and soldiers were placed on the premises. Queen Best Kemigisa, the king’s widow, described the situation as a form of house arrest that restricted the royal family’s movements and prevented visitors.

In a plea for calm, Archbishop Stephen Kazimba Mugalu of the Church of Uganda urged those gathered to seek unity. He warned that grief wrapped in bitterness could tear the kingdom apart and obliterate the king’s legacy.

President Yoweri Museveni echoed that sentiment, calling for a resolution that prioritises unity over division. He underscored the importance of preserving peace within the Tooro community.

The Babiito royal clan, led by Omusuuga Charles Karumasi, defended its selection of Kijanangoma by emphasising that their decision follows long‑standing cultural traditions. He urged all parties to maintain a spirit of serenity and cooperation as the kingdom moves forward.