Tooro Queen Mother rejects Kijanangoma selection

What the report says

Tooro’s Queen Mother, Best Kemigisa, has rejected the selection of Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the next king, saying the succession committee moved ahead despite an earlier understanding to pause the process until after the burial of the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV. In a statement reported by The Independent Uganda, Kemigisa said the committee’s announcement did not align with a document presented as the late monarch’s will and came while the body was still lying in state.

The report says the 21-member committee had considered claims around a purported son of the late king before choosing Kijanangoma on Wednesday evening. Sources cited by the publication said committee members asked for supporting details such as a photograph and family information, which were reportedly not provided. Those questions, according to the article, helped shape the committee’s decision to proceed with its own process.

Kemigisa said the family expected another meeting on Thursday and viewed the public announcement as premature and disrespectful. She urged palace officials, the UPDF leadership, President Yoweri Museveni and other authorities to allow the family to mourn and bury the king in peace. The article also says other members of the royal family, including Princess Ruth Komuntale Nsemere, Princess Elizabeth Bagaya and Princess Margaret Komubaizi, opposed the selection.

The Babiito clan has defended the choice of Kijanangoma, saying traditional procedures should guide the succession. The dispute comes as Tooro prepares for King Oyo’s burial at the Karambi Royal Tombs in Fort Portal on Saturday.