Komuntale rejects Prince Kijanangoma’s selection as Tooro King

What the report says

Princess Ruth Nsemere Komuntale has publicly objected to the selection of Prince Edward Kijanangoma Rukidi as the next Omukama of Tooro, adding fresh uncertainty to the kingdom’s succession process, according to Sqoop Uganda. The prince was announced on Wednesday as king-elect by the Ababiito clan, which said he had been chosen to succeed the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV. Oyo died on August 27 and was scheduled to be buried on Saturday, placing the dispute at a sensitive moment for the royal family and the wider kingdom.

Sqoop Uganda reported that Komuntale, the Princess Royal of Tooro, argues the succession should have stayed within Oyo’s immediate line. She said the late king had indicated a preferred successor and a second option, and she disputed that Kijanangoma was among those names. Her position challenges the elders’ endorsement of the prince and raises questions about how Tooro’s traditional selection process should be applied.

The report also said the disagreement has been deepened by an unverified will attributed to the late Omukama George David Kamurasi Rukidi III, which allegedly set out a broader succession arrangement for his descendants. In addition, there have been reports that Oyo left behind a young son, and clan leaders had called for any alleged heir to be presented and identified before the succession was finalized. The dispute matters because it touches on royal legitimacy, customary authority and the future leadership of one of Uganda’s prominent cultural institutions.