Tooro Queen Mother Best Kemigisa has reportedly stepped aside from Karuziika Palace as the Babiito royal clan and elders intensify preparations for the coronation of Prince Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I on September 29.
Tooro’s long-running succession crisis has entered a new phase after Queen Mother Best Kemigisa reportedly surrendered the keys to Karuziika Palace, paving the way for preparations for the coronation of the new Omukama.
Impeccable sources familiar with developments inside the royal establishment told The Investigator that Kemigisa bowed to pressure from members of the Babiito royal clan and agreed to give way to allow the palace to be prepared for the September 29 coronation.
The development comes only days after the burial of her son, the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, and amid an unresolved dispute over who should succeed him.
The reported handover of the palace is significant because Karuziika is the ceremonial and administrative heart of the Tooro monarchy and is expected to be the centre of the coronation ceremonies.
The sources said the Queen Mother’s departure has allowed members of the Babiito royal clan, elders and kingdom officials to begin organising the palace for the installation of Prince Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I.
There was no immediate public statement from Kemigisa confirming that she had surrendered the keys or formally vacated the palace.
Musuuga takes charge
The preparations are being led by Omujwera Musuuga Charles Kayondo Kamurasi, head of the Babiito royal clan.
Kamurasi confirmed that the coronation of Prince Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I will take place on September 29, 2026, at Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal.
The announcement followed a sitting of the Tooro Kingdom Supreme Council, which endorsed Edward Kijanangoma as successor to the late King Oyo.
“The Kingdom Supreme Council endorsed Nyabongo I, and now as Babiito royal clan, we have decided the date of coronation to be September 29, 2026, here at the palace,” Kamurasi said, according to reports.
The coronation will formally install the 56-year-old former Uganda Broadcasting Corporation news anchor as Tooro’s 13th king.
He will reign as Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I. His selection followed the death of Oyo on August 27, 2026, in the United States at the age of 34.
PM joins elders
The latest development has also brought Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire closer to the Babiito leadership and elders preparing for the transition.
Pictures from Karuziika Palace show the Prime Minister joining elders and other members of the royal establishment as preparations for the coronation gather momentum.
Rwomiire’s presence is particularly significant because he was appointed Prime Minister by the late King Oyo in 2025.
His future in the new administration has consequently become a subject of interest within Tooro.
There has been no formal announcement confirming whether Rwomiire will retain his position after the installation of Nyabongo I.
Before Oyo’s burial, Rwomiire had called for dialogue with Musuuga and other elders to resolve disagreements within the kingdom.
He said he was prepared to return to Tooro and engage the cultural leadership over outstanding matters.
“In case of any other matters, Akiiki Musuuga, I’m coming home so you can offer me guidance and so that we can have a conversation to resolve the issues with other elders,” Rwomiire said earlier this month.
The Prime Minister had also urged Tooro leaders to avoid public confrontation during the mourning period, saying disagreements should not overshadow the late king’s farewell.
Succession dispute
The move to prepare Karuziika for the coronation does not, however, mean that all questions surrounding the succession have disappeared.
Kemigisa and Princess Ruth Komuntale have previously challenged the selection of Kijanangoma, citing what they say is a will left by Oyo naming his biological son as heir.
The alleged son has not been publicly identified, and the succession dispute has generated competing interpretations of Tooro’s traditions and the late king’s wishes.
Reuters reported that Kemigisa and Komuntale opposed the selection of Kijanangoma, saying a 2022 will allegedly designated Oyo’s son as successor.
The Babiito leadership, however, proceeded with the selection of Kijanangoma and subsequently secured endorsement from the Tooro Supreme Council. The September 29 coronation date has now been formally announced.
This means the kingdom is moving ahead with preparations for the enthronement even as questions surrounding the alleged will remain unresolved.
From Oyo’s reign to Nyabongo
Oyo’s death brought to an end a 31-year reign that began when he was only three years old.
He ascended the Tooro throne in 1995 following the death of his father, King Patrick Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III.
For more than three decades, Oyo became one of Uganda’s most recognisable traditional leaders.
His death created an immediate succession question because the kingdom had not publicly identified an adult heir before his death.
The Babiito succession committee initially considered several members of the royal family before settling on Edward Kijanangoma.
According to reports, the first person selected, George Desmond Kamurasi, declined the throne, paving the way for Kijanangoma.
Kijanangoma subsequently took part in the traditional transition rites associated with the burial of Oyo. His designation as the new king was publicly announced by Musuuga during Oyo’s funeral ceremonies on September 12.
Karuziika becomes centre of transition
With the September 29 date now fixed, attention has shifted to Karuziika Palace.
The palace is expected to host the main coronation ceremonies, bringing together members of the Babiito clan, elders, royal family members, cultural leaders, government officials and thousands of subjects.
The reported departure of the Queen Mother from the palace could therefore be interpreted as an important practical step in preparations for the new reign.
Kemigisa has played a central role in Tooro affairs since Oyo became king as a child.
The official Tooro Kingdom website describes her as having served as Defender or Regent of the Crown after Oyo’s accession in 1995 and credits her with helping protect the monarchy during its restoration period.
Her reported decision to give way at Karuziika therefore carries considerable symbolic significance.
It potentially marks the transition from the era of the late King Oyo to the administration of the incoming monarch.
What lies ahead
The biggest question now is whether the succession dispute will continue after the coronation or whether the various camps will reach an accommodation before September 29.
The Babiito leadership has clearly moved forward with Nyabongo’s installation. The Supreme Council has endorsed him, the coronation date has been announced and preparations at Karuziika Palace are under way.
At the same time, the concerns raised by the Queen Mother and Princess Komuntale about Oyo’s alleged will remain part of the succession debate.
The coming days will therefore be crucial for Tooro. The presence of Rwomiire alongside Musuuga and the elders at Karuziika suggests that efforts may be under way to bring the kingdom’s leadership structures together before the coronation.
For the moment, however, the palace is being prepared for a new chapter.
If the September 29 ceremony proceeds as announced, Prince Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I will formally take the Tooro throne, succeeding Oyo after three decades of one of the most closely watched traditional reigns in Uganda.
And with the Queen Mother reportedly stepping aside from Karuziika, the palace itself is becoming the clearest symbol yet of the transition from the old reign to the new.
Author Profile
- Mr. Stephen Kasozi Muwambi is a seasoned crime investigative writer, majoring in judicial-based stories. His two decades’ experience as a senior investigative journalist has made him one of the best to reckon on in Uganda. He can also be reached via [email protected]
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