The bitter succession dispute in Tooro Kingdom has taken a fresh and potentially explosive turn after Omujwera Musuuga Charles Kamurasi said the kingdom would not accept the reported son of the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV if the child is brought into Uganda without the knowledge of the Babiito leadership.
Kamurasi, the head of the Babiito royal clan, was responding to renewed revelations by Queen Mother Best Kemigisa that Oyo left behind a son who is currently living in Texas, United States.
And while addressing the press at Uganda Media Centre, the Musuuga said the reported child could not simply be brought into Tooro and presented as the next king without the involvement of the traditional authorities.
“That child, Baby Oyo, if he is born from abroad and brought here without my knowledge, we shall not allow him,” Kamurasi said.
His remarks have added another layer to an already bitter succession battle that has shaken Tooro since Oyo died in the United States on August 27, aged 34.
The dispute has pitted sections of the late king’s immediate family against the Babiito leadership over who should inherit the throne.
Kamurasi and the Babiito succession structures have backed Oyo’s cousin, Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, as the successor. The royal family, led by Queen Mother Kemigisa and Princess Ruth Komuntale, has maintained that Oyo’s biological son should be considered the heir.
The Attorney General, Dr Sam Mayanja, has also weighed into the dispute, saying Oyo’s will should guide the succession if its provisions are valid and the reported son is legally established as Oyo’s biological child.
Baby Oyo mystery
The existence of Oyo’s son was first raised publicly shortly after the king’s death. Tooro Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire announced that Oyo had left behind a prince who would be unveiled according to tradition. President Yoweri Museveni subsequently said Queen Mother Kemigisa had informed him that the late king had left a young male heir who would be introduced at an appropriate time.
For weeks, however, the royal family did not publicly identify the child or disclose his whereabouts.
That changed this week when Kemigisa revealed that the child was alive and living in Texas.
In a statement issued after Oyo’s burial, the Queen Mother said the family had initially planned to return to Uganda with the child after leaving the United States.
She said the plan was abandoned after the succession dispute became increasingly tense and polarised.
Kemigisa said the family feared that bringing the child into Tooro at that moment could expose him to the bitter conflict surrounding the throne.
The revelation has now transformed what was initially a succession disagreement into a contest involving a reported child heir whose legal and traditional status remains contested.
Musuuga draws the line
Kamurasi has now made it clear that the Babiito leadership does not intend to accept the child automatically simply because he is said to be Oyo’s son.
His position is that the child cannot be introduced into the kingdom outside the established traditional structures.
The Musuuga has also challenged the idea that the reported heir can be brought into Tooro and immediately assume the throne without consultation.
His statement effectively places the Babiito leadership and the Queen Mother on opposite sides of the question of who has authority to determine the future of the monarchy.
The Musuuga’s position comes as preparations continue for the installation of Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, who was selected by the Babiito-led succession process following Oyo’s death.
Reports indicate that his coronation has been set for September 29 at Karuziika Palace.
The development has deepened the uncertainty because the royal family continues to insist that Oyo’s son should not be ignored.
Oyo’s Will
At the centre of the dispute is a will reportedly signed by Oyo in 2022. According to the document cited by the royal family, Oyo named his son as his preferred successor and provided for an alternative successor if the son died, was unable to assume the throne or was otherwise incapable of performing the duties of king.
The alternative named in the will was Prince Komwiswa Yoweri, a cousin of Oyo and a son of Musuuga Kamurasi.
This provision has become one of the most important points of disagreement between the royal family and the Babiito succession camp.
The royal family argues that Oyo’s wishes must be respected, while the Babiito leadership has maintained that the succession must follow Tooro customs and the recognised procedures for selecting a king.
The Attorney General’s September 12 legal opinion advised that the validity of Oyo’s will could only be challenged in court. He also argued that where there is a direct descendant by birth, succession questions must take into account the relevant law, customs and the valid wishes of the deceased king.
This means the question of whether Baby Oyo can eventually claim the throne cannot simply be settled by either side’s declaration.
His biological relationship to Oyo, the validity and interpretation of the will, Tooro customs and the applicable legal framework could all become critical.
Palace property war
As the succession dispute rages, Kamurasi has also addressed another contentious issue — the royal property reportedly removed from Karuziika Palace.
The Musuuga said the king’s robes, ceremonial garments and a royal hut taken from the palace are not private possessions.
He said the items belong to Tooro Kingdom and should remain under the institution of the monarchy.
“King garments and hut which were taken from the palace will be returned back. Because those aren’t anyone’s personal properties,” Kamurasi said.
The statement comes amid reports that the Queen Mother had left or surrendered control of Karuziika Palace as preparations for the proposed coronation of Kijanangoma gathered momentum. The palace has become one of the most visible symbols of the struggle over control of the kingdom.
For the Babiito leadership, therefore, the dispute is not merely about who succeeds Oyo. It is also about who controls the physical symbols, ceremonial regalia and institutional property of the Tooro monarchy.
A kingdom divided
The latest confrontation is the culmination of weeks of tension following Oyo’s death. The late king’s burial itself became entangled in the succession controversy, with different factions advancing competing interpretations of who should take over.
The Babiito clan eventually backed Kijanangoma, while Oyo’s immediate family rejected the move and pointed to the reported son and the late king’s will.
The Attorney General subsequently advised that the succession dispute should be resolved through the appropriate legal and traditional mechanisms rather than treating ceremonial acts as conclusive.
The Queen Mother has meanwhile insisted that her son’s child remains alive and that the family deliberately kept him away from Uganda to protect him from the conflict.
That revelation has now placed Baby Oyo at the centre of Tooro’s most serious succession dispute in years.
For Kamurasi, however, the message is uncompromising: the reported heir cannot simply arrive from abroad and be installed without the knowledge and participation of the Babiito leadership.
For Kemigisa and Oyo’s immediate family, the argument is different — that the child’s reported existence and Oyo’s stated wishes cannot simply be swept aside by the selection of another king.
The result is a royal succession dispute with three unresolved questions: whether Baby Oyo is legally and traditionally recognised as Oyo’s son, what weight should be given to the late king’s will, and which traditional or legal process has the final authority to determine Tooro’s next monarch.
Until those questions are settled, the planned coronation of Kijanangoma is unlikely to end the controversy. Instead, the revelation of a son living in Texas has opened a new chapter in the struggle over the Tooro throne.
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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