The Tooro kingdom is preparing for a new era as Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma Nyabongo I is set to be crowned king, following the death of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV last month. His rise to the throne has attracted widespread attention because of a dispute over who should have succeeded the late king.
Kijanangoma, 56, has been a familiar figure to many Ugandans for decades. Rather than being widely known as a royal heir, he built his public profile as a broadcaster, anchor and editor at Uganda’s state broadcaster during a journalism career spanning more than two decades.
Tooro Kingdom Faces Succession Dispute
The succession has become controversial because members of King Oyo’s family say the late monarch left behind a young son and a will stating that the child should succeed him. However, the boy has never been publicly identified and was not recognised by the committee of 21 Babiito clan members responsible for selecting the next king.
King Oyo became monarch in 1995 at the age of three after the death of his father. He was once described as the world’s youngest monarch and remained king for 31 years before dying from cancer at the age of 34.
His mother, Queen Best Kemigisa, has argued that her son’s wishes should have been respected. She described the selection of Kijanangoma as the “announcement of a second king” after the royal family had been informed about Oyo’s will.
Kemigisa said the situation was “extraordinarily painful” and expressed concern about the circumstances surrounding the reported son, who was in Texas in the United States. She later said the child had been expected to return to Uganda but could not do so because of the “tense and polarised succession dispute”.
The Tooro kingdom’s Information Minister Charles Mwanguhya disputed the suggestion that the child should automatically become king. He said the son “hasn’t been presented anywhere”, adding that there was growing acceptance that King Oyo did not leave a son behind.
New Tooro King Chosen From Babiito Clan
According to royal palace sources, the Tooro king must come from the Babiito clan and specifically from the lineage of King George David Matthew Kamurasi Rukidi III. Kijanangoma and King Oyo were cousins and both were grandsons of Rukidi III, who ruled Tooro from 1928 to 1965.
The succession committee eventually selected Kijanangoma after considering several candidates. Another contender was Prince George Desmond Kamurasi, who captains and plays as goalkeeper for South East Dons, a well-known amateur football club in the UK.
The committee said Kamurasi declined the throne because of other responsibilities. Following his selection, Kijanangoma said the palace would remain open to the people and promised to concentrate on unity and development.
“I ask you for one thing – they have given me this title as king but I cannot work alone, I have to work with you,” he said.
Tooro Coronation Begins With Traditional Ceremonies
The Tooro coronation is expected to follow a series of traditional ceremonies beginning around midnight. The new king will then walk about 4km to the official Karuziika royal palace, where the main coronation ceremony will take place.
A mock fight forms part of the ceremony, symbolising that kingship does not come easily. Members of the Babiito clan then bless the new monarch before he performs further ceremonies marking his assumption of the throne.
The final stage involves the new king sitting on the throne while a crown is placed on his head, formally symbolising his new authority as Tooro king.
Uganda’s Traditional Kingdoms Retain Cultural Influence
Uganda has four main officially recognised historical kingdoms. Although traditional kings have no formal political authority, they continue to hold cultural influence and significant loyalty among the communities they lead.
The kingdoms were abolished in 1967 before being restored by President Yoweri Museveni’s government in the early 1990s. The government said their restoration was intended to promote cultural pride and national unity, while the move has also been interpreted as an effort to build relationships with communities and encourage political loyalty.
The government has backed the Babiito clan’s selection of Kijanangoma. Attorney General Sam Mayanja said the Tooro kingdom was cleared to proceed with the coronation because no formal complaint had been made against the incoming king.
Museveni is scheduled to attend the ceremony, while his son and military chief Muhoozi Kainerugaba has publicly supported Kijanangoma, posting on X: “Long may he reign.”
Edward Kijanangoma Returns to His Royal Roots
Kijanangoma was born in 1970 and grew up at the family’s home in Kidukuru village near Fort Portal, about 300km from Kampala. He later studied at Makerere University, graduating with a degree in mass communication in 1999.
His broadcasting career took him to both Uganda and neighbouring Rwanda, including more than two decades at the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation. After becoming king, he said he would draw on the relationships developed during his 21 years as a journalist to “get good things for our people”.
His mother, Assimwe Yusta Kijanangoma, believes his upbringing prepared him for the responsibilities ahead. She said his childhood was deeply influenced by traditional teachings and described him as well-mannered and restrained.
Kijanangoma’s name itself reflects his family’s royal history. His father, the first Kijanangoma, was born in the year Rukidi III became king and was given a name meaning “the one who comes with the royal drum”.
Now, as Edward Kijanangoma prepares to take the Tooro throne, that royal connection is being renewed at a time when the kingdom is also navigating an unresolved succession dispute.