Uganda: Tooro Elders' Meeting Halted By Security

What the report says

Security forces were deployed on Tuesday at the Tooro Kingdom administrative offices in Muchwa, Fort Portal City, where the kingdom’s parliamentary chamber is also located, after a planned Supreme Council meeting was postponed. According to the Independent article distributed by AllAfrica, Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki said he had delayed the sitting until further notice while in Kampala consulting government officials and other authorities about arrangements for the return and burial of the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.

Despite that announcement, some Supreme Council members gathered at the site and tried to proceed, led by Omusuga Prince Charles Kamurasi, head of the ruling Babiito clan. The report said police and Uganda People’s Defence Forces personnel blocked access to the chambers, closed the doors and later engaged the members in talks, but no agreement was reached. The group eventually left without holding the session.

The dispute comes as Tooro Kingdom faces a broader succession debate following the king’s death. The article says the Babiito clan has created a 21-member committee to handle the selection process. It also notes disagreement over whether the late king left an heir: the prime minister says he did, while clan representatives dispute that claim. The kingdom’s traditional process normally involves the Rukurato first meeting to receive burial plans and later address succession matters. The king’s body is expected to arrive in Uganda on Thursday as funeral preparations continue.