Queen Mother Best Kemigisa has reaffirmed that her late son, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, left behind a son, saying the child remained in Texas because the family feared exposing him to Tooro’s bitter succession dispute. Her statement has reopened questions about the future of the Tooro throne, just days before the planned coronation of Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma.
Queen Mother Best Kemigisa has broken her silence on one of the most contentious issues surrounding the death of King Oyo, insisting that the late monarch left behind a son whose future, she says, will be addressed at the appropriate time.
In a five-page statement of appreciation issued after the burial of King Oyo, Kemigisa said the royal family had initially hoped to bring the child from the United States to Uganda alongside the body of his father.
That plan, she explained, was abandoned after the family became concerned that the child could be drawn into the increasingly polarised succession contest in Tooro.
“Before leaving Texas, our family had hoped that King Oyo’s child would return on the same plane with us,” Kemigisa said.
“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.”
The revelation has added a new dimension to the already bitter succession dispute, which has pitted sections of King Oyo’s immediate family against the Babiito royal clan over who should occupy the Tooro throne.
President Yoweri Museveni had first publicly referred to the existence of the child shortly after Oyo’s death on August 27.
In his condolence message, Museveni said Kemigisa had told him during a telephone conversation that Oyo had left a young boy heir who would be introduced to the public “at the right time.”
The identity, age and mother of the child have not been publicly disclosed by the royal family.
‘Let My Son Be Buried First’
Kemigisa’s latest statement, however, goes beyond the earlier disclosure by explaining why the child did not accompany the royal family to Uganda.
The Queen Mother said her wish had simply been for her son to be buried peacefully and with dignity before the succession question was addressed.
“Throughout this painful period, I had one simple wish: let us first bury my son peacefully and with dignity. Let a mother mourn her child. Let Tooro mourn its King. Then, when he has been laid to rest, let questions of succession be addressed calmly, lawfully and respectfully,” she said.
According to Kemigisa, that did not happen. She said a committee to choose a new king was formed only hours after Oyo’s death, while the late monarch’s body was still being transported home.
She further said that another successor announcement followed shortly after the late king’s Will was read to members of the royal family, Musuga and representatives of the Babiito clan.
The Queen Mother described celebrations near the place where her son’s body lay as particularly painful. “As a mother, that was extraordinarily painful,” she said.
Her account presents the succession dispute not simply as a contest over a throne, but as a deeply personal conflict experienced by a mother who had just lost her only son.
The statement also says the royal family had reached an understanding with government leaders, the Musuga and representatives of the Babiito clan before the burial.
Kemigisa said the understanding was that Oyo would receive a dignified burial and that succession disputes and rituals would not take place during the funeral.
She said a memorandum of understanding was signed to that effect. “What happened at Karambi left me devastated,” she said, adding that the events surrounding the funeral caused profound distress to both her and her daughter, Princess Ruth Komuntale.
The Succession Question
The controversy over Oyo’s successor has been building since his death. The late king died aged 34 in the United States while receiving treatment. His death left Tooro facing the question of who would inherit a throne that Oyo had occupied since he was three years old.
The first public indication that Oyo had a son came from Tooro Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki, who said the king had left a prince whose identity would be revealed at an appropriate time in accordance with Tooro traditions. Museveni subsequently confirmed the existence of the child based on information he said he had received directly from Kemigisa.
But the claim was disputed by the head of the Babiito royal clan, Omusuuga Charles Kamurasi.
The Babiito leadership demanded that the reported son be presented for verification before succession arrangements proceeded. Reports at the time said some clan leaders had not known about the child before Oyo’s death.
The dispute became even more complicated after a 2022 Will attributed to King Oyo was presented publicly.
According to reports on the document, the Will names Oyo’s biological son as the first heir, provided he is lawfully recognised as the king’s biological child. It also sets out alternative successors should the son be unable to assume the throne.
The Attorney General, Sam Mayanja, subsequently advised that the validity of the Will could be challenged only through court proceedings.
Meanwhile, the Babiito royal clan selected Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as successor. The Tooro Supreme Council endorsed the choice and the kingdom set September 29 for his coronation.
President Museveni has also been confirmed as the expected chief guest at the coronation. It is against this background that Kemigisa’s latest statement has attracted intense attention.
‘We Will Not Allow Anger To Define The Future’
Despite the succession dispute, Kemigisa adopted a conciliatory tone in her statement. “Today, I do not want anger to have the final word. I want gratitude, faith, hope and service to have the final word,” she said.
She appealed to those who supported the royal family and the wishes attributed to Oyo in his Will to remain peaceful and trust lawful processes.
“For that reason, we will not allow fear, anger or disappointment to define the future. We will continue to seek peace, to respect lawful processes and to trust God with what is beyond our hands,” she said.
Her statement did not publicly demand that the child be immediately installed as king.
Instead, she said Oyo’s wishes would continue to matter to the family and pledged to preserve his legacy.
That distinction has been noticed by some commentators, who see the statement as leaving the succession question open while reaffirming the existence of the child.
Mixed Reaction From Ugandans
The statement immediately triggered sharply different reactions from Ugandans online. Some supporters welcomed the confirmation as evidence that Oyo’s direct royal line remains alive.
Rogers Kankiriho wrote: “Team Baby Oyo, our hope is here.” He cited the Queen Mother’s words that Oyo’s mother, sister, child and people remain, alongside faith in God.
Dr Catherine Kyobutungi described the statement as “powerful, thoughtful and forward looking”, while offering prayers for Kemigisa, Princess Komuntale and the reported child.
Sophie also welcomed the revelation, writing: “King Oyo left a son.”
Andrew, another commentator, said he would support the reported child and the Oyo Foundation, arguing that if the boy is ultimately destined for the throne, the question could remain open until he grows older.
Alfred Afeku Njoroge similarly interpreted the statement as confirmation that Oyo had left a prince and questioned whether the Queen Mother would pursue legal avenues concerning the succession. But not everyone was convinced.
Justice Hunter said important details about the reported son remained unavailable and argued that Tooro had already entered a new era under Edward.
Another online commentator, writing under the name “You Aren’t Qualified Queen”, simply rejected the claim that there was a son.
Other reactions focused less on succession and more on the absence of information about the child’s mother.
Dr Wycliff Kyomuhendo welcomed the Queen Mother’s message but questioned why the reported mother of Oyo’s son had not been publicly acknowledged. He argued that, if the child exists, his mother should have an important place in the family and in any effort to preserve Oyo’s legacy.
Aiden called for evidence and said the child should be presented to the Babiito clan if the claim is to be settled through customary processes. His comments reflected a wider demand among sceptics for the child’s identity, maternal lineage and formal recognition to be clarified.
Others, however, interpreted the Queen Mother’s decision not to bring the child to Uganda as evidence that the family had genuine concerns about his safety.
Kirya Ug wrote that the statement indicated the family did not trust the circumstances surrounding the succession process and therefore chose to keep the child in the United States.
Oyo’s Legacy Beyond The Throne
Kemigisa’s statement also sought to move the conversation beyond succession. She announced plans for a King Oyo Memorial Foundation, saying it would carry forward the late king’s commitment to Ugandans.
She also outlined plans for a King Oyo Tooro Museum, which would preserve his personal belongings and historical objects associated with his reign.
Another proposal is the King Oyo International Stadium, for which the Queen Mother said her son had donated about 50 acres of land to Government.
She also proposed a King Oyo Research and Teaching Hospital, with dedicated cancer and HIV research facilities.
The projects, she said, would ensure that Oyo’s legacy lives beyond the succession dispute and touches future generations.
“King Oyo’s legacy will live through the Foundation he inspires,” she said.
“It will live through his mother and his sister, Princess Ruth. It will live through his child and the generations that come after us.”
That reference to “his child” is perhaps the most significant part of the statement.
It places the reported child firmly within Kemigisa’s account of Oyo’s legacy, even as questions remain about when, how and under what process the child will be formally presented.
For now, the reported heir remains outside Uganda, while Tooro prepares for the September 29 coronation of Kijanangoma.
The result is a succession story with two competing developments: a royal family continuing to assert that Oyo left a son, and a Babiito-led process moving ahead with another successor.
Kemigisa’s final appeal was therefore not framed in terms of confrontation. “King Oyo’s wishes will always matter to us,” she said. “We will honour his memory, protect his legacy and continue the work to which he devoted his life.”
And, perhaps most importantly, she added: “We will not allow fear, anger or disappointment to define the future.”
For Tooro, the unanswered question is whether the future she speaks of will eventually include the return and formal presentation of Oyo’s reported son — and what that would mean for a coronation process already scheduled for September 29.
Author Profile
- Charles Gazza Kodili is a seasoned journalist with over 20 years of experience in the media industry. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication. He’s currently the Chief Editor at the Investigator.
Charles can also be reached via; Tel: +256 774 108978
Email: [email protected]
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