Mystery son and disputed heir: Uganda’s king buried amid succession dispute

Fort Portal, Uganda – When King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of Tooro was buried connected September 12, the ceremonial unfolded nether the shadiness of a bitter quality implicit who should win him.

Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a 56-year-old quality anchor and exertion astatine Uganda Broadcasting Corporation, had been selected by the royal clan to win Oyo. During the burial astatine the Karambi Royal Tombs successful Fort Portal, helium formally assumed powerfulness by casting 9 java berries into the king’s grave, portion of the accepted handover ritual.

But the succession remains contested.

Oyo’s mother, Queen Mother Best Kemigisa, and his sister, Princess Ruth Komuntale, person opposed Kijanangoma’s selection, saying the precocious king’s volition named a lad arsenic his heir.

Oyo ne'er joined and was not publically known to person children. After his death, Tooro’s Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki announced that the king had near a lad whose individuality would beryllium revealed astatine an due time. The kid has not been publically identified.

Oyo’s household says a 2022 volition named a lad whom helium described arsenic his lawfully recognised biologic lad arsenic heir to the throne. But Babiito clan elders, who are liable for guarding the Tooro royal lineage, determining succession and safeguarding the kingdom’s traditions, accidental Oyo had not introduced the kid done the customary process and alternatively backed Kijanangoma arsenic his successor.

“The volition is not a determinant of who is expected to beryllium a king; it is simply a papers that expresses one’s wish,” said Reverend Father Charles Oyo, a Babiito clan elder. “The Musuuga [Babiito clan leader] is supra the will.”

Members of the nationalist respond arsenic the assemblage of the precocious King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV makes its mode to Karambi Royal Tombs for burial successful Fort Portal, Uganda, connected September 12, 2026 [AFP]

Princess Komuntale has accused the elders of trying to instrumentality implicit the throne.

“King Oyo was a precise peaceful man, a precise humble man,” she said. “I conscionable don’t privation these evil vultures to travel and bargain what helium worked truthful hard for. I proceed to basal with my brother.”

The quality has divided sentiment implicit who should beryllium regarded arsenic Oyo’s morganatic successor. The Ugandan authorities besides became progressive successful talks aimed astatine resolving the quality earlier the burial.

The kid king

Oyo’s ain way to the throne began erstwhile helium was conscionable 3 years old.

He became king successful 1995 aft the decease of his father, Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III, and was recognised arsenic the world’s youngest reigning monarch.

A coffin containing the assemblage of the Late Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV is loaded onto a cortege aft leaving the Karuziika Royal Palace earlier the burial astatine the Karambi Royal Tombs connected September 12, 2026, successful Fort Portal, Uganda [Hajarah Nalwadda/Getty Images]

As a child, Oyo was homeschooled, with the palace serving arsenic his classroom. When helium aboriginal joined superior school, puerility friends retrieve him arsenic a benignant and lukewarm person.

During schoolhouse holidays, helium sometimes sneaked retired of the family’s backstage residence successful Buziga, Kampala, to play shot successful the neighbourhood.

Martin Odong, a vigor writer and puerility friend, remembers him arsenic “friendly, societal and compassionate”.

Oyo would halt shot games to cheque connected an injured player, careless of which broadside they were playing for, Odong said.

His emotion of shot continued into adulthood. He promoted section tournaments, including the Tooro Kingdom MTN Masaza Cup, which was suspended arsenic his wellness deteriorated.

Oyo died connected August 27, aged 34, successful the United States portion receiving crab treatment. His assemblage was returned to Uganda for 9 days of mourning earlier his burial astatine the Karambi Royal Tombs, which coincided with Empango, the day of his coronation.

At St John’s Cathedral, Queen Mother Best Kemigisa remembered her lad arsenic idiosyncratic who had ever protected her.

“He was my shield who ever stood for me,” she said.

Mourners escort the cortege with the assemblage of the precocious Omukama of Tooro, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, for his burial astatine the Karambi Royal Tombs, successful Fort Portal, Kabarole district, Uganda, September 12, 2026 [Abubaker Lubowa/Reuters]

She recalled praying for his beingness erstwhile she was successful hospital.

“When I was successful the hospital, I said, ‘God, delight permission my lad alone; instrumentality maine first,’” she said. “He [God] decided to instrumentality him [King Oyo] first. I said, ‘Why? Because helium was person to You than me.’”

Princess Komuntale described her member arsenic a “funny person” who “always brightened my day”.

Although helium was younger than her, she said, helium often behaved similar the older sibling and protected her and their parent aft their begetter “left to beryllium with the Lord”.

Father Charles Oyo remembered him arsenic a “handsome king who loved his kingdom truthful much”.

He said Oyo died conscionable arsenic helium was “beginning to show his abilities and capableness arsenic a king”.

A king without governmental power

Uganda is simply a law republic, and its accepted kings person nary ceremonial governmental authority. But the kingdoms clasp taste power and bid loyalty among galore of their communities.

Queen Mother, Best Kemigisa (R), and her girl (L), Princess Ruth Komuntale, be a requiem wide for the precocious King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of Tooro, astatine the St John’s Cathedral earlier the king’s burial astatine the Karambi Royal Tombs, connected September 12, 2026, successful Fort Portal, Uganda [Hajarah Nalwadda/Getty Images]

Uganda abolished its accepted kingdoms successful 1967. They were restored successful 1993 nether President Yoweri Museveni.

Oyo was guided by regents portion helium was a kid and took connected the afloat responsibilities of the monarchy arsenic an adult.

His antithetic presumption meant helium met presidents, royalty and different satellite leaders from a young age. Among them was erstwhile South African President Nelson Mandela, who reportedly wanted to conscionable the young king during a sojourn to Uganda. Oyo, however, was much funny successful playing with his toys down the VIP tent.

As an adult, helium utilized the level of the throne to beforehand issues beyond the kingdom.

In 2020, helium climbed the Rwenzori Mountains to gully attraction to clime alteration and the retreat of the glaciers there.

He besides supported a run to works 10 cardinal trees crossed Tooro implicit 5 years.

He promoted steadfast surviving and took portion successful crab consciousness runs. Komuntale called him her “best workout partner”.

Before his death, Oyo had allocated onshore and begun fundraising for a paediatric infirmary successful Kyenjojo district. Clan elders person since appealed to the authorities to implicit the task and found a specialised crab installation and an planetary stadium successful his memory.

His last months

Oyo’s unwellness was kept mostly private.

According to his sister, helium began experiencing symptom successful his backmost and rib cage past year. The household initially thought it mightiness beryllium linked to strenuous workout oregon ulcers.

He aboriginal travelled to Kenya, wherever helium was diagnosed with angiosarcoma, an assertive signifier of cancer, earlier travelling to Germany for attraction and yet to the US.

Members of the nationalist respond arsenic the assemblage of the precocious King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV makes its mode to Karambi Royal Tombs for burial successful Fort Portal, Uganda, connected September 12, 2026 [AFP]

“He told america to support it private, and we respected that,” Komuntale said.

She said that soon earlier his death, Oyo spoke to cardinal workers successful Uganda astir returning home. He wanted to observe Empango, the day of his coronation, with his people.

He ne'er made it home.

For Komuntale, the king remained her younger member adjacent aft helium became 1 of Africa’s astir recognisable accepted rulers.

She remembered playing dodgeball with him and his emotion for his 3 dogs.

“Even though you were crowned a king, you were inactive a kid who loved to play,” she said.

“I volition support your legacy, what you loved, and we volition speech astir you each day.”