Uganda crowned a TV news anchor as king of the Tooro Kingdom on September 29, even though the dead king’s own sister says he left a will naming a secret son as the true heir.
Story Snapshot
- A royal clan committee picked news anchor Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as king on September 9, 2026.
- The Tooro Kingdom crowned him Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I on September 29 at Karuziika Palace.
- Uganda’s Attorney General let the coronation move forward because no court challenge had been filed.
- Three royal women say the late king left a will naming a secret son as heir, and the clan told them to sue if they disagree.
A News Anchor Becomes King
On September 9, 2026, the Babiito royal clan’s succession committee chose Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a 56-year-old news anchor at Uganda Broadcasting Corporation, to succeed the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV. King Oyo, once the world’s youngest reigning monarch, died last month at age 34. The Tooro Kingdom Supreme Council unanimously endorsed the pick on September 15, clearing the way for a full coronation.
The kingdom set September 29 for the enthronement at Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal. The day began with a church service at St John’s Cathedral, followed by a torch-lit procession and a mock battle before the new king entered the palace grounds. He now carries the royal name Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I, marking traditional cleansing rituals and centuries-old royal drums and spears.
Family Says a Will Names a Different Heir
Not everyone accepts the pick. Queen Mother Best Kemigisa says the selection ignored a written will King Oyo left before he died. Princess Ruth Komuntale, the king’s sister, said her brother gave “very strict instructions” naming his own son, whose identity has never been made public, as first in line to the throne. Princess Elizabeth Bagaya, a senior royal, backed the objection.
The Babiito clan rejected the family’s objections outright and told the princesses to fight the decision in court instead of blocking the ceremony. No lawsuit was ever filed. Uganda’s Attorney General, Sam Mayanja, said on September 17 that because no case had reached the courts, the coronation could go forward on schedule.
State Backing Meets Unresolved Doubt
President Yoweri Museveni attended the coronation as chief guest, giving the new king a visible show of government backing. That presence carries weight in Uganda, where traditional kingdoms operate alongside the elected government. Still, the Attorney General’s move only confirms no lawsuit existed. It does not settle whether the family’s claims about the will have any legal merit.
Uganda’s Prince Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I arrives at St John’s Cathedral with Queen Rebecca Amoding Rukidi for his coronation as the new Omukama, or king, of Tooro.
The journalist is taking the throne following a succession crisis sparked by the death of his predecessor, King Oyo… pic.twitter.com/s2iV9yIACq
— Radar Africa (@radarafricacom) September 29, 2026
The clash echoes a problem people notice everywhere, from small institutions to national governments: leaders pressing forward with big decisions before objections get fully resolved. Kingdom officials treated the coronation as settled once no lawsuit appeared, even though named relatives never withdrew their claims. That pattern, closing the book while dissent stays on the record, feeds the same distrust many Americans feel toward their own institutions.
Sources:
youtube.com, pulse.ug, monitor.co.ug, independent.co.ug, newtimes.co.rw, tnx.africa, aljazeera.com
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