Susan MwongeliUganda’s Tooro Kingdom has named its next king.
On Wednesday, September 9, the Babiito royal clan announced Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the next Omukama, the traditional title for the king of Tooro.
Kijanangoma is 56 years old and works as a news anchor and editor at Uganda Broadcasting Corporation. His selection comes less than two weeks after the death of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
Oyo died on August 27, aged 34, while receiving cancer treatment in the United States. His reign began in 1995, when he was just three years old.
He became the world’s youngest reigning monarch and went on to spend 31 years on the Tooro throne, growing from a child king into an important cultural figure.
So who is the man chosen to succeed him?
New chapter
Kijanangoma comes from the Babiito royal clan, the royal lineage from which Tooro’s monarch is selected.
He is the son of Prince Christopher Paul Kijanangoma and the grandson of former Tooro king George David Rukidi III.
The succession committee said it carried out “due diligence, consultation and adequate consideration” before selecting him.
The decision was signed by 19 members of a 21 member committee.
Tooro is one of Uganda’s traditional kingdoms, based in western Uganda around Fort Portal.
The king has no formal political authority, but the institution remains an important part of the region’s culture, traditions and identity.
Succession questions
But the succession is already facing questions.
Oyo’s sister, Princess Ruth Komuntale, says the late king left a will naming his young son as his heir.
She described the new succession process as creating “confusion and turmoil”.
The Queen Mother, Best Kemigisa, has also appealed for the family to be given time to mourn, describing the situation around them as “house arrest”.
“Let us grieve and bury my son King Oyo,” she said.
Oyo’s body was returned to Uganda on September 4.
His burial is scheduled for Saturday, September 12, at the royal tombs near his palace in Fort Portal.
Kijanangoma’s formal enthronement is expected to follow Tooro’s traditions and customs.
For now, his selection marks the beginning of a new chapter for Tooro, following the extraordinary 31-year reign of King Oyo.
