By Joseph Kiggundu
FORTPORTAL.A former television news editor and anchor has been crowned king of Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom on Tuesday.
He becomes the 13th monarch of the Batooro people in a ritual-laden ceremony that marked the end of a contentious succession dispute.
Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma succeeded King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, whose death last month from cancer at age 34 triggered a feud within the royal family. The crown prince was selected by a 21-member committee from the royal Babiito clan. Kijanangoma, 56, is a cousin to the late monarch.
A source with knowledge of the succession dispute said Uganda’s central government pushed through the decision to select Kijanangoma over the objections of King Oyo’s mother.
Kijanangoma took the royal name Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I during a traditional ceremony in Tooro’s capital, Fort Portal, which included the ceremonial slaughter of a bull and the sprinkling of a hen’s blood. Nyabongo I walked to Karuziika Palace between midnight and 3 a.m. before taking part in a symbolic mock battle for the crown.
A massive turnout at Rwengoma Palace on Bwamba Road as crowds gathered to accompany the King-designate, Omukama Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I, on his symbolic night trek to Karuziika Palace.
The procession made nine traditional stopovers along the Fort Portal–Bundibugyo route before…
Uganda operates as a constitutional republic governed by an elected president, but four pre-colonial kingdoms remain influential symbols of identity and heritage, despite lacking formal political power.
Former colleagues at the state broadcaster, Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), where Nyabongo I previously worked as a news anchor and editor, described the new monarch as humble and down to earth.
Over the weekend, relatives, traditional drummers, and dancers wearing calabashes and orange bark-cloth shawls gathered at Karuziika Palace to welcome the incoming ruler.
Local residents expressed excitement in the days leading up to the ceremony. Elizabeth Kengonze, a Tooro resident, noted that the community had been actively preparing for the historic event.
“Everyone in Fort Portal is happy because of this new king. We are preparing. Women are ironing their masuka. Men are ironing their kanzus,” Kengonze said, referring to traditional attire. “People are practicing how they will sing Amakondere. We are very happy and grateful because Tooro, as a culture, is being promoted and the young ones are now knowing and learning how the Tooro culture was.”
The coronation took place despite formal objections from King Oyo’s mother, Queen Best Kemigisa, and his sister, Princess Ruth Komuntale. They maintained that the late king left behind a young son and a written will naming the child as his legitimate heir.
King Oyo was not publicly known to have been married or to have had children during his lifetime. The kingdom’s prime minister first made reference to a child in an official statement announcing the king’s passing.
However, Charles Kayondo Kamurasi, the head of the royal Babiito clan and traditional king-maker, dismissed the claim, stating that the clan followed long-standing Batooro customs in selecting Kijanangoma.
“The child they are claiming to be there is not known,” Kamurasi told reporters last week, emphasizing that the clan recognized no other heir.
King Oyo died in the United States on August 27 while receiving treatment for angiosarcoma, an aggressive form of cancer. He was laid to rest on September 12 at the Karambi Royal Tombs in Fort Portal.
The late monarch previously drew global attention in 1995 when he was enthroned at just three years old following the death of his father. Images of the toddler king dressed in full royal robes and a crown sparked widespread international fascination at the time.
A massive turnout at Rwengoma Palace on Bwamba Road as crowds gathered to accompany the King-designate, Omukama Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I, on his symbolic night trek to Karuziika Palace.
The procession made nine traditional stopovers along the Fort Portal–Bundibugyo route before…
Following the coronation, the Omuhikirwa (Prime Minister) of Tooro Kingdom, Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki, issued a statement extending his congratulations to the new sovereign.
“Your Majesty King Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I, congratulations on your coronation as the King of Tooro. Today marks the beginning of a new chapter for our Kingdom,” Akiiki said. “I pray that God grants Your Majesty wisdom, strength, humility and good health to guide your people with fairness, compassion and courage. May you always be guided by wisdom in your decisions, and may your reign bring unity, peace, progress and prosperity to the people of Tooro. Omukama ahangirize.”