Fort Portal, Uganda – When King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of Tooro was buried on September 12, the ceremony took place under the shadow of a bitter dispute over who should succeed him. Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a 56-year-old news anchor and editor at Uganda Broadcasting Corporation, had been selected by the royal clan to succeed Oyo. During the burial at the Karambi Royal Tombs in Fort Portal, he formally assumed power by throwing nine coffee berries into the king’s tomb, part of the traditional handover ritual. But the succession remains in dispute. Oyo’s mother, Queen Mother Best Kemigisa, and her sister, Princess Ruth Komuntale, have opposed Kijanangoma’s selection, saying the late king’s will named a son as his heir. Oyo never married and was not publicly known to have children. After his death, Tooro Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki announced that the king had left behind a son whose identity would be revealed at the appropriate time. The boy has not been publicly identified. Oyo’s family says a 2022 will named a son he described as his legally recognized biological son as heir to the throne. But elders of the Babiito clan, who are responsible for protecting the Tooro royal lineage, determining succession and safeguarding the kingdom’s traditions, say Oyo had failed to present the child through the traditional process and instead endorsed Kijanangoma as his successor. “The will is not a determinant of who is supposed to be a king; it is a document that expresses one’s wish,” said Rev. Father Charles Oyo, an elder of the Babiito clan. “The Musuuga [Babiito clan leader] It is above the will.’ Members of the public react as the body of the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV heads to the Karambi Royal Tombs for burial in Fort Portal, Uganda on September 12, 2026. [AFP]Princess Komuntale has accused the elders of trying to seize the throne. “King Oyo was a very peaceful man, a very humble man,” he said. “I just don’t want these evil vultures to come and steal what he worked so hard for. I still support my brother.” The dispute has divided opinion over who should be considered Oyo’s legitimate successor. The Ugandan government also engaged in talks aimed at resolving the dispute before the burial. The boy king Oyo’s journey to the throne began when he was just three years old. He became king in 1995 following the death of his father, Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III, and was recognized as the world’s youngest reigning monarch. A coffin containing the body of the late Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV is carried on a procession after leaving the Karuziika Royal Palace ahead of burial at the Karambi Royal Tombs on September 12, 2026, in Fort Portal, Uganda [Hajarah Nalwadda/Getty Images]As a child, Oyo was educated at home, and the palace served as his classroom. When he later entered elementary school, his childhood friends remember him as a kind and warm person. During school holidays, he would sometimes escape from the family’s private residence in Buziga, Kampala, to play football in the neighborhood. Martin Odong, a radio journalist and childhood friend, remembers him as “friendly, sociable and compassionate.” Oyo would stop soccer matches to check on an injured player, regardless of which team he played for, Odong said. His love of football continued into adulthood. He promoted local tournaments, including the Tooro Kingdom MTN Masaza Cup, which was suspended when his health deteriorated. Oyo died on August 27, aged 34, in the United States while receiving cancer treatment. His body was returned to Uganda for nine days of mourning before his burial in 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 defended me,” he said. Mourners escort the cortege carrying the body of the late Omukama of Tooro, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, for burial at the Karambi Royal Tombs, Fort Portal, Kabarole district, Uganda, September 12, 2026 [Abubaker Lubowa/Reuters]She recalled praying for his life when he was in the hospital. “When I was in the hospital, I said, ‘God, please leave my son alone; take me first,'” she said. “He [God] decided to take it [King Oyo] first. I said, ‘Why? Because he was closer to You than to me.'” Princess Komuntale described her brother as a “fun person” who “always made my day.” Although he was younger than her, she said, he often acted like the older brother and protected her and her mother after their father “left to be with the Lord.” Father Charles Oyo remembered him as a “handsome king who loved his kingdom very much.” He said Oyo died just as he was “beginning to demonstrate his skills and ability as a king.”A king without political powerUganda is a constitutional republic, and its traditional kings have no formal political authority. But the kingdoms retain cultural influence and command loyalty among many of their communities.The Queen Mother, Best Kemigisa (R), and her daughter (L), Princess Ruth Komuntale, attend a requiem mass for the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of Tooro, at St. John’s Cathedral before the king’s burial in the Karambi Royal Tombs, on September 12, 2026, in Fort Portal, Uganda [Hajarah Nalwadda/Getty Images]Uganda abolished its traditional kingdoms in 1967. They were restored in 1993 under President Yoweri Museveni. Oyo was guided by regents as a child and assumed all the 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 wanted 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 used the platform of the throne to promote issues beyond the kingdom. In 2020, he climbed the Rwenzori Mountains to draw attention to climate change and receding glaciers there. He also supported a campaign to plant 10 million trees in Tooro over five years. She promoted healthy living and participated in cancer awareness races. Komuntale called him his “best training partner.” Before his death, Oyo had allocated land and started raising funds for a pediatric hospital in Kyenjojo district. Clan elders have since called on the government to complete the project and establish a specialized cancer center and international stadium in their memory. His final months, Oyo’s illness was largely kept private. According to his sister, he started experiencing back and rib cage pain last year. Initially, the family thought it might be related 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. [AFP]“He told us to keep it private and we respected that,” Komuntale said. He said 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 returned home. For Komuntale, the king remained his younger brother even after becoming 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 king, you were still a boy who loved to play,” he said. “I will maintain your legacy, what you loved, and we will talk about you every day.”
