Journalist crowned Tooro king amid disputed succession

Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma has been crowned king of Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom following a contested succession process that has divided members of the late monarch’s family.

Kijanangoma, a 56-year-old journalist and former UBC news anchor and editor, was selected by a 21-member committee from the royal Babiito clan. He has taken the royal name Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I and becomes the 13th monarch of the Batooro people.

Traditional ceremony

The coronation followed traditional rites that included the slaughter of a bull and the sprinkling of a hen’s blood. Before the ceremony, Nyabongo I walked to Karuziika Palace from midnight until 3am on Tuesday and later took part in a mock battle for the crown.

He succeeds King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who died last month from cancer at the age of 34. Kijanangoma was the late king’s cousin.

Former colleagues at UBC have described the new monarch as humble and down to earth.

Family objections

The selection has faced objections from Best Kemigisa, the late king’s mother, and Princess Ruth Komuntale, his sister. They said Oyo Nyimba left behind a young son and a will identifying the child as heir to the throne.

The identity of the alleged son and the contents of the reported will have not been provided, and it remains uncertain whether the child exists. Critics of the succession process have argued that any child claiming the throne would have needed to be introduced to the kingdom’s elders while Oyo Nyimba was alive in order to be recognised as a legitimate heir.

The dispute has caused growing unease within the community. The reasons Kemigisa withheld the alleged heir’s identity remain unclear.

Role of the kingdom

Uganda is a constitutional republic governed by an elected president. Its four pre-colonial kingdoms no longer exercise political power, but continue to hold influence as symbols of identity and heritage.

The Tooro Kingdom is therefore a traditional and cultural institution rather than a separate political authority. The crowning of Nyabongo I nevertheless carries significance for the Batooro people as the kingdom addresses an unsettled line of succession.