Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma Nyabongo II, a former state broadcaster, has been chosen as Tooro’s new king following a contested selection by the Babiito clan’s 21-member committee. Queen Best Kemigisa, mother of the late King Oyo, disputes the choice and says Oyo left a son who should have succeeded. The government has backed the committee and President Museveni is expected to attend the coronation. Kijanangoma, a grandson of former king Rukidi III, has pledged unity and development.
Former Broadcaster Prince Edward Kijanangoma Named Tooro King Amid Bitter Succession Dispute
[Ngabo Amon/ BBC]
Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma Nyabongo II, a well-known former state broadcaster, has been selected as the new king of Uganda’s Tooro kingdom after a contested selection process that has drawn national and international attention.
The late King Oyo's mother has expressed her pain over the succession row [Getty Images]
Contested Succession
The Babiito clan’s 21-member succession committee chose Kijanangoma despite claims from close royal relatives that the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV left a young son and a will naming that child as heir. The alleged son has not been publicly presented and was not accepted by the committee, which says Kijanangoma is the rightful successor under Tooro customs.
President Museveni (left), who restored the traditional kingdoms in the 1990s, was pictured with Tooro's King Oyo (right) in 2010 [AFP via Getty Images]
Family Opposition
Queen Best Kemigisa, the late king’s mother, has been vocal in her objection. She described the committee’s announcement as the “announcement of a second king” and said public celebrations took place only metres from her son’s body, calling the moment “extraordinarily painful.” Kemigisa also said the boy — reportedly in Texas — could not return amid a tense and polarised dispute and urged that no child be exposed to hostility.
Kijanangoma has been a journalist for much of his adult life [UBC]
Government Backing And Ceremony
The Ugandan government has backed the Babiito committee’s choice. Attorney General Sam Mayanja said the kingdom was cleared to proceed because no formal complaint had been filed. The state announced the coronation date and President Yoweri Museveni is scheduled to attend; Museveni’s son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has publicly wished the new king a long reign.
[BBC]
Rituals And Lineage
The Tooro coronation is rich in tradition: rites begin at midnight, the new monarch walks roughly 4km to the Karuziika palace, participates in a mock fight symbolising the trials of leadership, and is blessed by members of the royal Babiito clan before a crown is placed on his head. By custom, a king must come from the Babiito clan and specifically the lineage of King George David Matthew Kamurasi Rukidi III; Kijanangoma and the late King Oyo are cousins and both are grandsons of Rukidi III.
About Prince Kijanangoma
Born in 1970 and raised in Kidukuru village near Fort Portal, Kijanangoma earned a mass communication degree from Makerere University in 1999 and worked for more than two decades as a journalist, including at the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation and in neighbouring Rwanda. After his appointment he pledged to prioritise unity and development, saying he would draw on his public-facing experience and connections to benefit his people.
Kijanangoma’s father — the first Kijanangoma — was named in the year Rukidi III became king; the name means "the one who comes with the royal drum," a symbol of royalty that supporters say is now returning to its bearer.
Outlook
The dispute underscores tensions between traditional customs, competing family claims and the role of the state in cultural affairs. While the new king prepares for coronation, calls for reconciliation and clarity about the late king’s alleged son continue to shape public debate in Tooro and beyond.
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