Tooro Kingdom Buries King Oyo as a Secret Heir Sparks Public Succession Row

Thousands of mourners gathered at Saint John's Cathedral in Fort Portal on September 12 to bury King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, the monarch who first ascended the Tooro throne at age three and ruled for 31 years. The king died on August 27 while receiving cancer treatment in the United States; Tooro’s prime minister, Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki, confirmed his passing.

King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, 18, who was crowned as head of the Kingdom of Toro in a traditional ceremony in his hilltop palace overlooking his capital of Fort Portal sits on his throne on April 17, 2010 (@ AFP via Getty Images)

Funeral and Immediate Aftermath

The state-like funeral drew large crowds and national attention, but the orderly burial has been overshadowed by an increasingly public dispute over succession. The prime minister’s initial statement indicated there was a surviving prince whose identity "would be formally revealed at the appropriate time, in accordance with the traditions and customs of Tooro Kingdom." That ambiguity has since become a flashpoint between the kingdom’s succession committee and the late king’s immediate family.

A Royal guard to the late Ugandan King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV reacts at the passage of the body of his late king (@ AFP via Getty Images)

How the Succession Dispute Unfolded

The 21-member Babiito royal committee, the traditional body responsible for lineage and succession, first offered the throne to a cousin of the late king, George Desmond Kamurasi, a 36-year-old goalkeeper who plays for SE Dons in England. Of the committee members who voted, 15 of 18 supported him — but Kamurasi declined. A committee member, Fr Charles Oyo, told ESPN that Kamurasi cited family commitments in England and a scheduled FA Vase qualifying match as reasons for refusing.

Queen Mother, Best Kemigisa attends a requiem mass for the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of Tooro (@ Getty Images)

Under Tooro custom, formally refusing the throne after being selected is widely regarded as shameful, and Kamurasi has not publicly expanded on his decision. The committee then named Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a news anchor and editor at Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), as successor. That choice was immediately rejected by the late king’s mother, Queen Mother Best Kemigisa, and his sister, Princess Ruth Komuntale.

King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV in 2010 (@ AFP via Getty Images)

Family Claims and Conflicting Documents

Princess Ruth accused what she called "evil vultures" of trying to manipulate succession. She produced a document she said King Oyo drafted in 2022 naming "a biological son" as his heir, though no name was given. That allegation surprised some Tooro elites, who said they had never heard of such a son and therefore did not include any such name in the committee’s vote.

Omusuuga Charles Karumasi, chairman of the Babiito committee: "We have done everything in observance of the culture and traditions of Tooro. We must all preserve peace and serenity."

Security, Appeal For Calm And National Response

The Queen Mother has said the dispute has cost the family more than a crown, alleging palace security was withdrawn after the king’s death and that some royals were effectively confined to the residence. She urged rival factions to pause the contest so the family could grieve: "Let us grieve and bury my son King Oyo," she said.

President Yoweri Museveni sent a message read at the ceremony urging the Batoro people to seek "peaceful and lawful means" to resolve the dispute and pledging to work with whoever becomes monarch, "just as we did with His Highness Oyo." Tooro is one of four traditional kingdoms formally recognised in Uganda; while they hold no statutory political power, these institutions command deep cultural loyalty. The kingdoms were abolished after independence and restored in 1993 — a history that adds sensitivity to questions of legitimate succession.

Remembering King Oyo

Beyond the political dispute, family members and commentators reflected on the personal loss. King Oyo was a globally visible figure from childhood and met leaders ranging from Nelson Mandela to Muammar Gaddafi. Ugandan analyst Timothy Kalyegira wrote in a social media eulogy: "This is one of those deaths, the Bob Marley kind, that one never heals from… Not at 34." At the burial, Princess Ruth paid a simpler tribute: "He had a gift to make people laugh. He always knew how to brighten my day."

The succession controversy is likely to continue as Tooro’s institutions, the royal family and the broader community seek a path that balances tradition, transparency and peace.