Fort Portal, Uganda – When King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of Tooro was buried on September 12, the ceremony was overshadowed by a bitter dispute over his successor.
Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a 56-year-old news anchor and editor at the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation, had been chosen by the royal clan to succeed the late monarch. During the burial at the Karambi Royal Tombs in Fort Portal, he formally assumed power by casting nine coffee berries into the king’s grave, adhering to the traditional handover ritual.
However, the succession remains contested.
Oyo’s mother, Queen Mother Best Kemigisa, and his sister, Princess Ruth Komuntale, oppose Kijanangoma’s selection. They assert that the late king’s will named a son as his rightful heir.
Oyo never married and was not publicly known to have fathered children. Following his death, Tooro’s Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki announced that the king had left a son whose identity would be revealed at an appropriate time, though the child has not been publicly identified.
Oyo’s family maintains that a 2022 will named a son he described as his lawfully recognized biological son as the heir to the throne. However, Babiito clan elders—who are responsible for safeguarding the Tooro royal lineage and traditions—argue that Oyo did not introduce the child through the customary process and instead endorsed Kijanangoma as his successor.
“The will is not a determinant of who is supposed to be a king; it is merely a document expressing one’s wish,” stated Reverend Father Charles Oyo, a Babiito clan elder. “The Musuuga [Babiito clan leader] is above the will.”
![TOPSHOT - Members of the public react as the body of the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV makes its way to Karambi Royal Tombs for burial in Fort Portal, Uganda, on September 12, 2026 [AFP]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==)
Princess Komuntale has accused the elders of attempting to seize the throne.
“King Oyo was a very peaceful man, a very humble man,” she stated. “I just do not want these evil vultures to come and steal what he worked so hard for. I continue to stand with my brother.”
The dispute has divided opinion regarding Oyo’s legitimate successor. The Ugandan government also participated in talks aimed at resolving the conflict before the burial.
The child king
Oyo’s own path to the throne began when he was merely three years old.
He ascended to the throne in 1995 following the death of his father, Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III, and was recognized as the world’s youngest reigning monarch.
As a child, Oyo was homeschooled within the palace. When he later enrolled in primary school, childhood friends remembered him as kind and warm.
During school holidays, he occasionally sneaked out of the family’s private residence in Buziga, Kampala, to play football in the neighborhood.
Martin Odong, a radio journalist and childhood friend, remembered him as “friendly, social, and compassionate.”
Oyo would pause football games to check on an injured player, regardless of which team they supported, Odong noted.
His passion for football continued into adulthood. He promoted local tournaments, including the Tooro Kingdom MTN Masaza Cup, which was suspended as his health deteriorated.
Oyo died on August 27 at the age of 34 in the United States while receiving cancer treatment. His body was returned to Uganda for nine days of mourning before his burial at the Karambi Royal Tombs, which coincided with Empango, the anniversary of his coronation.
At St John’s Cathedral, Queen Mother Best Kemigisa remembered her son as someone who had always protected her.
“He was my shield who always stood for me,” she recalled.
She remembered praying for his life while she was hospitalized.
“When I was in the hospital, I said, ‘God, please leave my son alone; take me first,’” she recounted. “He [God] decided to take him [King Oyo] first. I said, ‘Why? Because he was closer to You than me.’”
Princess Komuntale described her brother as a “funny person” who “always brightened my day.”
Although he was younger than her, she said he often behaved like the older sibling, protecting her and their mother after their father “left to be with the Lord.”
Father Charles Oyo remembered him as a “handsome king who loved his kingdom so much.”
He noted that Oyo died just as he was “beginning to demonstrate his abilities and capacity as a king.”
A king without political power
Uganda is a constitutional republic, and its traditional kings hold no formal political authority. Yet, the kingdoms retain significant cultural influence and command deep loyalty among their communities.
Uganda abolished its traditional kingdoms in 1967. They were restored in 1993 under President Yoweri Museveni.
Oyo was guided by regents during his childhood and assumed the full responsibilities of the monarchy as an adult.
His unusual position meant he met presidents, royalty, and other world leaders from a young age. Among them was former South African President Nelson Mandela, who reportedly wished to meet the young king during a visit to Uganda. Oyo, however, was more interested in playing with his toys behind the VIP tent.
As an adult, he utilized the platform of the throne to advocate for issues beyond the kingdom.
In 2020, he climbed the Rwenzori Mountains to draw attention to climate change and the retreat of the glaciers there.
He also supported a campaign to plant 10 million trees across Tooro over five years.
He promoted healthy living and participated in cancer awareness runs. Komuntale called him her “best workout partner.”
Before his death, Oyo had allocated land and begun fundraising for a paediatric hospital in Kyenjojo district. Clan elders have since appealed to the government to complete the project and establish a specialized cancer facility and an international stadium in his memory.
His final months
Oyo’s illness was kept largely private.
According to his sister, he began experiencing pain in his back and rib cage the previous year. The family initially thought it might be linked to strenuous exercise or ulcers.
He later traveled to Kenya, where he was diagnosed with angiosarcoma, an aggressive form of cancer, before traveling to Germany for treatment and eventually to the US.
“He told us to keep it private, and we respected that,” Komuntale stated.
She noted that shortly before his death, Oyo spoke to key workers in Uganda about returning home. He wanted to celebrate Empango, the anniversary of his coronation, with his people.
He never made it home.
For Komuntale, the king remained her younger brother even after he became one of Africa’s most recognizable traditional rulers.
She remembered playing dodgeball with him and his love for his three dogs.
“Even though you were crowned a king, you were still a kid who loved to play,” she said.
“I will keep your legacy, what you loved, and we will talk about you every day.”