Tooro Supreme Council confirms Kijanangoma as King

Fort Portal, Uganda | URN | The Tooro Kingdom Supreme Council, Orukurato rw’ensanju, has formally confirmed Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the successor to the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, giving his disputed selection further backing within the kingdom.

The confirmation was made on Tuesday during a sitting of the Supreme Council at the Rukurato Chambers in Muchwa, chaired by the Speaker, Julius Mwirumubi. It followed a formal announcement by Musuuga Charles Kamurasi, head of the Babiito Royal Clan, who introduced Kijanangoma to the council as the king-designate.

Kamurasi told the council that Kijanangoma had been selected by a 21-member committee of the Babiito Royal Clan and would reign under the name Omukama Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I. He said the new king-designate is currently being prepared for his new role and that the Babiito will announce the date for his coronation in due course.

Kamurasi said the death of King Oyo required the kingdom to undertake a succession process to ensure continuity of the institution. He added that anyone dissatisfied with Kijanangoma’s selection was free to pursue legal avenues to challenge the decision.

Kamurasi also criticised the earlier closure of the Supreme Council chambers at a time when the council was expected to convene following King Oyo’s death. He said Tooro customs require the Supreme Council to sit whenever a king dies to receive formal communication about the death and discuss preparations for the funeral.

Kamurasi said an earlier attempt to convene the council on September 1 failed after the chambers were locked and UPDF personnel were deployed around the premises, preventing members from sitting. Patrick Ganjangu Ateenyi, the representative of the Bagweri clan on the Supreme Council, seconded Kamurasi’s communication and called on members to confirm Kijanangoma as the successor.

Another council member, Julius Byamukama, said the Rukurato had rallied behind the new king-designate to ensure continuity of the Tooro throne.

The council subsequently confirmed Kijanangoma as king-designate and asked Kamurasi and the Babiito Royal Clan to proceed with preparations for his coronation.

The confirmation comes amid continuing disagreement within the Tooro royal family over the succession to King Oyo, who died aged 34 while receiving treatment in the United States. Some members of the royal family, including Princess Ruth Komuntale and Princess Elizabeth Bagaya, have rejected Kijanangoma’s selection, arguing that King Oyo left a will that should be respected in determining his successor.

The Babiito Royal Clan has maintained that the selection was conducted in accordance with Tooro customs and traditions. The Supreme Council’s decision now places Kijanangoma’s selection on a broader institutional footing as the kingdom moves towards his planned coronation.

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