Tooro royals raise dispute over reported King Oyo heir

What the report says

A succession dispute is unfolding in Tooro Kingdom after members of the Babiito royal clan said a reported son of the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV should be formally presented for verification before any heir is recognized. The Observer reported that clan leaders want the succession process to follow Tooro’s traditional rules and say they had not previously known of the child’s existence.

The disagreement involves Queen Mother Best Kemigisa, Tooro prime minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomire, and Babiito clan head Omusuga Charles Kamurasi, who questioned why the child had not been shown to the clan earlier. Another clan member, Dan Rubombora, said the authority to identify a successor lies with the Omusuga and warned against actions taken outside established customary procedures. Kamurasi also criticized Rwomire over his role in funeral arrangements and disputed reports about moving the king’s body to Buziga.

The story gained wider attention after President Yoweri Museveni said in his eulogy that he had been told the late king left behind a son and that the child would be introduced publicly later. According to an unnamed palace source cited by The Observer, a 21-member clan committee is expected to review possible heirs and confirm whether they meet traditional requirements.

Oyo died in the United States last Thursday, aged 34, after treatment for cancer. He became king in 1995 as a child after the death of his father, and the current dispute now adds uncertainty to funeral preparations and the question of who will next occupy the Tooro throne.