Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a former journalist and long-serving anchor at Uganda’s state broadcaster, has been crowned the new king of the Tooro Kingdom, succeeding the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
Kijanangoma, 56, now known as King Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma Nyabongo I, takes the throne after a succession process that has generated debate within the royal family and attracted widespread public attention.
Tooro is one of Uganda’s four officially recognised traditional kingdoms. King Oyo had ruled the kingdom for 31 years after ascending the throne in 1995 at the age of three, following the death of his father. He died last month at the age of 34 after battling cancer.
The coronation ceremony began with traditional rituals at midnight, followed by a procession during which Kijanangoma walked about 4 kilometres to the Karuziika royal palace, where he was formally crowned.
Tooro Kingdom Information Minister Charles Mwanguhya said the ceremony would also include a symbolic mock fight to represent the challenges associated with kingship, followed by a blessing from members of the royal Babiito clan.
Disputed succession
Kijanangoma’s selection followed a contested succession process.
Members of the royal family said King Oyo had left a young son and a will indicating that the child should succeed him. However, the child has not been publicly identified and was not recognised by the 21-member Babiito royal succession committee, which ultimately selected Kijanangoma.
Oyo’s mother, Queen Best Kemigisa, has argued that her late son’s wishes should have been respected.
She described Kijanangoma’s selection as the announcement of a second king following the reading of Oyo’s alleged will to members of the royal family. The queen also said Oyo’s son, who was reportedly in the United States, had been expected to return to Uganda but remained abroad amid tensions surrounding the succession.
The Tooro Kingdom has defended the process, saying the selection followed established customs and traditions. Mwanguhya said that the alleged son had not been formally presented, contributing to acceptance within the kingdom that King Oyo did not leave a recognised heir.
A new royal line
Unlike Oyo, who inherited the throne directly from his father, Kijanangoma comes from a different branch of the ruling Babiito clan.
His coronation therefore marks a significant transition for Tooro after three decades under King Oyo, whose childhood accession made him one of the world’s youngest monarchs.
Kijanangoma’s unusual path to the throne has also drawn attention because of his previous public career. Before becoming king, he was known to many Ugandans primarily as a journalist, anchor and editor at the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation, rather than as a prominent royal figure.
His coronation now places him at the centre of Tooro’s traditional institution as the kingdom begins a new chapter following the death of its long-serving monarch.
