The succession crisis in Tooro Kingdom has deepened after members of the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV’s family rejected the proclamation of Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the next Omukama.
The development came hours after the Babiito Royal Clan announced Kijanangoma as the successor to the late monarch.
However, Princess Ruth Nsemere Komuntale, sister to King Oyo, said the announcement caught the family by surprise, claiming they were still discussing the late king’s will with lawyers and had expected another meeting before any successor was proclaimed.
“What happened today honestly really took us by surprise. We had no idea that it was going to happen. We’re very confused,” Komuntale said.
At the centre of the dispute is King Oyo’s Last Will and Testament, dated September 14, 2022.
According to Komuntale, the will provides that if Oyo was survived by a biological son, his son would be the next heir to the throne, subject to Tooro customs and the Institution of Traditional or Cultural Leaders Act.
“Clearly, the next person in line is his son. That’s the next heir to the throne. And he also left very strict instructions on any other successors who might take over just in case of, you know, a plan B,” she said.
The will reportedly also outlines alternative successors in case Oyo’s son is unable to take the throne, naming cousins Prince Komwiswa Yoweri and Prince Nyaika Solomon in that order.
Komuntale said the family had planned to meet with lawyers again to review the will before a successor was announced, describing the proclamation of Kijanangoma as premature.
She also called for restraint as the kingdom prepares to bury King Oyo, saying the succession dispute should not overshadow the mourning period.
“We can’t even mourn my brother in peace,” she said.
Her position has received support from Princess Elizabeth Bagaya, who said she fully backs Komuntale’s position.
“She has all my authority, all my support. This is a tragic time but you have my support, you have all my love... Nobody else has the authority of her brother,” Bagaya said.
The disagreement now leaves Tooro Kingdom facing a fresh challenge as preparations for King Oyo’s burial continue.
With competing positions emerging over who has the authority to determine the next Omukama, the kingdom’s succession process remains unsettled.
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