“My Son Is Still in His Coffin”: Queen Mother Kemigisa Condemns Tooro Throne Fight

What the report says

Queen Mother Best Kemigisa of Tooro has publicly urged the Ugandan government, the UPDF leadership and members of the Babiito clan to let the royal family mourn and bury the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV without further dispute. In a statement dated September 10, 2026, and reported by Watchdog Uganda, she said the family was distressed by a succession contest that intensified soon after Oyo’s death on August 27, following an illness described in the report as cancer.

Kemigisa said the disagreement over the throne echoed the earlier succession battle after the death of her husband, Kaboyo, when Oyo was still a child. She alleged that some clan members moved to choose another successor before Oyo’s body had reached Fort Portal for burial. The report says she also objected to security developments around the palace, including the removal of royal guards and the deployment of troops, which she described as limiting the family’s freedom during mourning.

According to the statement, Oyo’s will was read before family and government representatives, and Kemigisa said it outlined the succession order. She added that a planned follow-up meeting was overtaken when clan members later held a press conference to announce their own choice. She said that timing was especially painful because it happened while Oyo’s coffin was still present.

Kemigisa appealed for the succession dispute to be put on hold until after burial and asked President Yoweri Museveni and UPDF leadership to ensure a dignified funeral. The report places the dispute within the broader context of Tooro’s royal succession, an issue that has historically drawn strong public and clan interest in Uganda.