HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The Uganda’s resolve to intervene in the escalating succession dispute in Tooro Kingdom is becoming increasingly clear, with the government seeking to prevent the disagreement over the successor to the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV from turning into a wider crisis.
The intervention comes just days before the late monarch is due to be buried at the royal tombs in Karambi, Fort Portal, amid competing claims over who should inherit the throne.
Wait for Museveni
Minister of State for Internal Affairs Juma Witonze Kisekka has called for calm, saying the uncertainty surrounding the succession requires consultations with President Yoweri Museveni, whom he described as the “Chief Elder”.
The government’s position is that the different actors in Tooro should give authorities time to consult the President and determine the appropriate way forward rather than allowing the disagreement to escalate.
The intervention follows the decision by the Babiito royal clan to select Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the successor to Oyo, a move rejected by members of the late king’s immediate family.
Princess Ruth Komuntale has insisted that Oyo left a 2022 will naming his son as heir, while Queen Mother Best Kemigisa has also challenged the succession process.
The dispute has consequently moved beyond an internal royal disagreement and become an issue requiring government attention.
Peace before succession
The government’s immediate concern appears to be preventing the succession dispute from generating tension among the Batooro.
The call for calm comes against the backdrop of increasingly public disagreements between the Babiito royal clan and members of Oyo’s family.
Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire has also called for the postponement of the enthronement of a new king until after Oyo’s burial, while urging government intervention to help resolve the differences.
Government officials have previously stressed that succession disputes involving cultural institutions should be handled peacefully, within the framework of Tooro customs and Ugandan law. The Institution of Traditional or Cultural Leaders Act, 2011 provides mechanisms for resolving disputes within traditional institutions, including recourse to the High Court where necessary.
This gives the government room to facilitate consultations without necessarily directly determining who becomes king.
MPs join calls for restraint
Members of Parliament have also joined the calls for restraint. Speaking to journalists at Parliament, National Woman MP for Persons with Disabilities Laura Kanushu urged Tooro’s leadership to remain united and allow the law governing cultural institutions to guide the succession process.
The appeal reflects growing concern that the disagreement could overshadow the funeral of Oyo, who died aged 34 after undergoing cancer treatment in the United States.
The late king’s body was returned to Uganda on September 4, with President Museveni receiving it at Entebbe International Airport. His burial is scheduled for September 12.
Government prioritises Oyo’s burial
For now, the government appears keen to separate the mourning of Oyo from the contest over his successor. President Museveni has already directed government machinery to support the late king’s official burial, with the government taking charge of preparations for the final send-off.
The government’s intervention in the succession question is therefore partly aimed at ensuring that the burial proceeds peacefully before the kingdom settles the more complicated question of who should occupy the throne.
The challenge is that the two sides hold fundamentally different positions. The Babiito say they possess the customary authority to select the Omukama and have chosen Kijanangoma after consultations. Oyo’s family, meanwhile, says the late king left clear written instructions naming his son as heir.
