Government Withholds Gazette Recognition of Kijanangoma as Tooro King Amid Succession Dispute
The government has declined to formally gazette Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the new King of Tooro, with Attorney General Sam Mayanja saying the decision will have to wait until the dispute over the succession to the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV is resolved.
Mayanja said the declaration of Kijanangoma by the Babiito clan elders does not, on its own, bring the succession process to an end because members of the late king’s family continue to contest the decision.
The dispute centres on a will reportedly left by King Oyo, which provides that if he was survived by a lawfully recognised biological son, that son would become his heir. The document also names Prince Komwiswa Yoweri, the son of Omusuuga Charles Kamurasi, as an alternative successor if Oyo had no son able to assume the throne.
The royal family, led by Queen Mother Best Kemigisa and Princess Ruth Komuntale, has maintained that the late king left a son who should be considered in accordance with his wishes. The Babiito succession committee, however, proceeded with its process and selected Kijanangoma after an earlier choice, Prince George Desmond Kamurasi, declined the position.
Kijanangoma was subsequently declared the successor during the events surrounding King Oyo’s burial at the Karambi Royal Tombs on September 12. He has since begun speaking about his vision for the kingdom, including greater unity among the Babiito and other clans, education initiatives, scholarships and partnerships to continue projects associated with the late king.
However, Mayanja says the government will not proceed with gazetting Kijanangoma until the outstanding issues are settled. He argues that where a succession decision remains contested, the matter can ultimately be taken to court for determination.
According to the Attorney General, King Oyo’s will should guide the succession unless its validity is successfully challenged through the courts. He has advised that the dispute be handled through the appropriate traditional and legal institutions rather than through competing declarations.
Mayanja has also addressed the traditional ritual involving the throwing of nine coffee beans into the deceased king’s grave, which ordinarily symbolises confirmation of a successor. He said the ritual should not be treated as conclusive while the succession remains contested.
Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Norbert Mao has similarly indicated that the Tooro succession process is not yet complete, noting that the enthronement process is not considered final until the successor is included in the national gazette.
The development leaves Tooro facing an unusual situation: Kijanangoma has been publicly selected by the Babiito clan and has begun presenting himself as the kingdom’s new leader, but the central government has yet to give him formal recognition through gazettement.
For now, the succession dispute remains unresolved, with the government expected to await the resolution of the competing claims before formally recognising the next Omukama of Tooro.
