Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The Babiito have spoken. They have zeroed in on Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the next mornach for Tooro kingdom.
For years, Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma has been a familiar face to Ugandans who tune in to the national broadcaster for the day’s biggest stories. A journalist, news editor and senior news anchor at Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), Kijanangoma has now found himself at the centre of one of Tooro Kingdom’s most consequential succession moments following the death of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
Kijanangoma, who frequently anchors UBC’s flagship evening bulletin, UBC News Tonight, and the broadcaster’s lunchtime news, has built his professional reputation in journalism while quietly carrying a royal heritage that has now thrust him into the spotlight.
Beyond his work in front of the cameras, Kijanangoma serves as a news editor, helping shape the stories and coverage that reach millions of Ugandans through the state broadcaster. His transition from covering national events to becoming part of a royal succession contest has therefore created an unusual intersection between Uganda’s media and traditional leadership. He has also been a prominent MC, hosting many tourism events held by the Uganda Tourism Board and other stakeholders in the sector.
Kijanangoma is a member of the Babiito royal clan, the ruling dynasty of Tooro, and is one of the grandchildren of the late Tooro King George Kamurasi Rukidi III.
Following the death of King Oyo in August 2026 at the age of 34, the question of who would occupy the Tooro throne immediately became a matter of national interest. As one of the eligible members of the Babiito clan, Kijanangoma emerged as one of the contenders for the vacant throne.
The Royal Succession Committee, led by Omusuuga Charles Akiiki Kamurasi, was tasked with selecting the next monarch. In the vote held on September 4, Kijanangoma contested against his cousin, George Desmond Kamurasi.
The 36-year-old Desmond Kamurasi, a former United Kingdom-based pharmacy professional and football coach, emerged victorious, reportedly securing 15 of the 18 votes cast by committee members.
For Kijanangoma, the outcome marked a setback in his bid to move from being a prince of the Babiito royal family to becoming the next Omukama of Tooro.
But the succession process did not end with the committee’s decision.
Reports that Desmond Kamurasi had declined to take up the royal responsibilities have thrown the succession question into fresh uncertainty. Having reportedly lived outside Uganda for more than two decades, his reluctance to assume the throne has raised questions about what happens next.
The uncertainty comes against a backdrop of an already contested succession process. Some factions have challenged the authority of the Royal Succession Committee, while other claims have centred on the alleged existence of a secret young heir left behind by the late King Oyo.
The competing claims have complicated what would ordinarily be a straightforward transition within the Babiito royal clan.
Kijanangoma’s position therefore remains significant. Although he lost the September 4 vote, his royal lineage and previous consideration by the succession process placed him among the figures whose names remained closely associated with Tooro’s future leadership. Then came the big announcement today, that he will be Tooro Kingdoms’s next king.
Away from the palace politics, Kijanangoma has a private family life. He is married to Rebecca Amoding, a human resource manager. The couple reportedly held their wedding ceremony at Watoto Church in Kampala.
His story is consequently an unusual one: a man accustomed to reporting the affairs of others is now himself at the centre of a historic story, a king, whose loyal robes will sweep the plains of Tooro for many yers to come.
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