Uganda buries King Oyo as succession dispute splits Tooro royal family

September 12, 2026 at 09:55 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Uganda's King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV was buried Saturday in Fort Portal after dying last month at 34 during cancer treatment in the US. Thousands of mourners lined the streets as his casket was transported to the royal tombs. The burial came amid a succession dispute between clan elders' choice Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma and the late king's family, who say a 2022 will names his young son as successor.

Key Facts

King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV died last month at age 34 while undergoing cancer treatment in the US.
Clan elders named Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, 56, as the next monarch, and he cast nine coffee beans into Oyo's grave during the burial.
Oyo's sister Princess Ruth Komuntale said the late king left a will written in 2022 naming his young son as successor, whose identity has never been disclosed.
Queen Best Kemigisa said royal guards had been withdrawn from the palace and soldiers deployed, restricting the royal family's movement in what she described as 'house arrest'.
Archbishop Stephen Kazimba Mugalu and President Yoweri Museveni both called for unity in resolving the succession dispute.

The Burial

Thousands of mourners lined the streets as King Oyo's casket was transported to the royal tombs in Fort Portal, where a private ceremony took place. Oyo, who had ruled the traditional kingdom of Tooro in western Uganda since the age of three, was once the world's youngest reigning monarch according to Guinness World Records. Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, 56, reportedly cast nine coffee beans into Oyo's grave, a ritual signifying the end of one reign and the start of another.

Succession Dispute

Days before the burial, Oyo's family rejected Kijanangoma, the late monarch's cousin, as Tooro's new king. Princess Ruth Komuntale said the late king had left a will written in 2022 naming his young son as his successor, though the boy's identity has never been disclosed. Queen Best Kemigisa said royal guards had been withdrawn from the palace and soldiers deployed, restricting the royal family's movement and their ability to receive visitors, which she described as 'house arrest'. Omusuuga Charles Karumasi, head of the Babiito royal clan, defended the choice of Kijanangoma, saying: 'We have done everything in observance of the culture and traditions of Tooro. We must all preserve peace and serenity.'

Calls for Unity

Archbishop Stephen Kazimba Mugalu of the Church of Uganda urged unity at the burial, telling mourners: 'Words spoken in grief can cause pain, division and conflict. It can even destroy the legacy of the king we are mourning.' President Yoweri Museveni also called for the matter to be resolved 'and to favour unity over division'.