He maintained that because Oyo was not officially married, Tooro would need clarity on the identity and background of any woman who may have given birth to a purported heir before such a child could be considered for the throne.
As succession dispute is gaining flesh over the Tooro Kingdom throne, Senior Journalist Andrew Mwenda has responded to the Queen Mother Best Kemigisa, defending the process that led to the selection of Prince Edward Rukiidi Kijanangoma as successor to the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
Mwenda said the clarification was prompted by remarks attributed to the Queen Mother, Best Kemigisa, who reportedly described the group that selected Kijanangoma as a “self-appointed group of clan members.”
He said the remarks were a “gross insult” to the kingdom and its cultural institutions, insisting that the succession process was conducted in accordance with Tooro customs.
“King Oyo died on August 26, 2026. Two days later, on August 28, a general meeting of the Babiito clan—the royal clan of Tooro—was held at Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal City.
More than 100 princes and princesses reportedly attended the meeting and selected a 21-member Royal Succession Committee headed by Charles Kamurasi, the Musuuga, or Prince Regent and caretaker of the kingdom,” he said in a communication shared on his X handle.
“The committee began its work on August 31 with the mandate of identifying a suitable successor to the late king.”
According to the Meenda, four candidates were initially presented to the committee.
They included George Desmond Kamurasi, son of Prince Jimmy Mugenyi; a purported son of the late King Oyo, initially identified as Jacob Oyo and later as Jackson Oyo; George David Kamurasi, son of Prince Kato Rukidi; and Prince Edward Rukiidi Kijanangoma, son of Prince Kijanangoma.
The purported son of Oyo was presented to the committee by Patrick Kawamara, a brother of Queen Mother Best Kemigisa, who had been appointed to the succession committee to represent the interests of the Queen Mother, also known as Nyina Omukama Owempeeka.
Mwenda said Kawamara was asked to provide a photograph of the purported son but was unable to do so.
He was also asked about the clan and family background of the child’s mother.
According to the account, Kawamara said the woman was a Muhinda but declined to disclose her family in Tooro.
Mwenda further claimed that none of Oyo’s paternal relatives among the Babiito had previously been aware of the purported son’s existence.
The committee also reportedly became concerned after receiving two different names for the child and no photograph, despite photographs being provided for the other candidates.
The committee consequently decided to remove the purported son from further consideration, describing the circumstances surrounding his presentation as dubious.
After four days of deliberations, the committee held a secret ballot to select the successor.
George Kamurasi reportedly received 15 votes, while each of the other candidates received one vote.
Mwenda said he personally informed Kamurasi about his selection, rejecting claims circulating on social media that he had declined the throne.
“He did not decline the throne as alleged on social media,” he said, adding that Kamurasi only requested time to consult his wife and business partners in London.
However, he said the kingdom could not remain without a successor indefinitely and therefore proceeded to consider the next suitable candidate, eventually leading to the announcement of Prince Edward Rukiidi Kijanangoma as the successor on Wednesday evening.
Will reignites succession dispute
The succession dispute intensified following a meeting held at Karuziika Palace on Tuesday, September 8, bringing together the Queen Mother and members of the Babiito clan.
The meeting was attended by Msgr Mayombo, Fr Oyo, Musuuga Charles Kamurasi, Patrick Kawamara, Misaki Kawamara, Mujaguzi and other members of the Queen Mother’s family.
Mwenda said the Queen Mother told the meeting that she would not disclose details about Oyo’s purported son until the reading of the late king’s will.
The will was subsequently read to the same group, with Oyo’s sister and Batebe of the kingdom, Princess Ruth Komuntale, and Princess Margaret Komubaizi, the Mukajoyi, also attending.
According to Mwenda, the will, which was written on September 14, 2022, refers only to a hypothetical heir.
He further argued that under Tooro customs, being a biological son of an Omukama does not automatically make one the heir to the throne.
He said a potential heir would have to meet established cultural requirements, including being born to a Mutoro queen officially married to the king, known as an Omugowekitebe.
He said the issue was therefore not simply whether Oyo may have fathered a son, but whether such a child met the cultural requirements for succession and whether his maternal identity and background could be established.
“This is not to suggest that Oyo did any of this,” Mwenda said, referring to hypothetical circumstances involving a king fathering a child outside an official marriage.
He maintained that because Oyo was not officially married, Tooro would need clarity on the identity and background of any woman who may have given birth to a purported heir before such a child could be considered for the throne.
The latest revelations are likely to further intensify the succession dispute in Tooro, with sections of the royal family already questioning the selection of Kijanangoma while others insist that the Babiito-led process was legitimate.
The matter remains developing as members of the royal family and cultural institutions continue to differ over who should succeed the late King Oyo.
