Kemigisa’s statement therefore places the child’s absence from public view in the context of security concerns, the succession dispute and the family’s desire to shield him from the controversy.
The former Tooro Queen Mother, Best Kemigisa, has clarified the whereabouts of the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV’s son and explained why the child did not return to Tooro for his father’s burial.
The whereabouts and continued absence from public view of King Oyo’s son have remained a subject of growing interest, particularly amid the succession dispute that emerged in the Tooro Kingdom following the death of the monarch.
In a statement of appreciation following the death and burial of her son, Kemigisa explained that the child, who has increasingly been referred to by some royal supporters as the “Baby King”, was expected to travel from Texas, United States, with the rest of the royal family following King Oyo’s death.
According to Kemigisa, the family had initially hoped that the child would return to Tooro on the same plane with them.
However, she said the situation changed as events surrounding the succession unfolded, prompting concerns within the family about exposing the young child to what she described as a tense and polarised dispute.
“However, as events unfolded in Tooro, concerns grew about bringing a child into a tense and polarised succession dispute. Ultimately, the child did not return with us,” Kemigisa said.
She explained that the decision was made out of concern for the child’s safety and wellbeing, rather than an intention to permanently keep him away from his father’s homeland.
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Kemigisa said the child should not be placed in circumstances where his return could expose him to hostility or conflict arising from the succession controversy.
“This has left me deeply saddened. Whatever disagreements existed, no child should ever be placed in circumstances where returning to his father’s homeland could mean being drawn into hostility and conflict,” she said.
Succession dispute
Kemigisa’s explanation comes against the backdrop of a succession dispute that emerged almost immediately after King Oyo’s death.
The former Queen Mother said the family had wanted the late King to be buried peacefully before questions surrounding succession were addressed.
She complained that a committee to choose a new king was initiated only hours after Oyo’s death, while his body was still being transported back to Tooro.
She further said another king was announced shortly after the reading of Oyo’s Will to members of the Royal Family, Musuga and representatives of the Babiito Clan.
According to Kemigisa, the developments created an environment she considered unsuitable for bringing the child into Tooro.
She said her representatives had engaged Government leaders, the Musuga and representatives of the Babiito Clan before the burial, with the expectation that King Oyo would first receive a dignified burial without succession disputes and rituals taking place during the burial period.
Why the “Baby King” has remained out of public view
Kemigisa’s statement therefore places the child’s absence from public view in the context of security concerns, the succession dispute and the family’s desire to shield him from the controversy.
The former Queen Mother did not give a date for when the child would return to Tooro or be publicly presented.
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She also did not state that the child had been formally installed as king.
Instead, she referred to him as King Oyo’s child and said his legacy would live through his mother, his sister Princess Ruth and “his child and the generations that come after us.”
The clarification comes as claims surrounding the child have increasingly featured in competing narratives over who should succeed the late King Oyo.
For now, Kemigisa’s statement indicates that the child remains away from Tooro because the family considered the prevailing succession environment too tense for his return.
She said the family would continue to protect King Oyo’s legacy while seeking peace and respecting lawful processes.
“We will continue to seek peace, to respect lawful processes and to trust God with what is beyond our hands,” Kemigisa said.
The statement leaves open the question of when, and under what circumstances, King Oyo’s son will eventually be brought back to Tooro and presented to the public.
I can also make it more punchy and newspaper-like in New Vision style, with a stronger
opening paragraph and tighter succession-dispute angle.
