The succession crisis in Tooro Kingdom has deepened after Omusuuga Charles Akiiki Kamurasi distanced himself from claims by veteran journalist Andrew Mwenda that the Royal Succession Committee had selected a new king to succeed the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
Mwenda claimed on Friday, that the Royal Succession Committee had met at Fort Motel in Fort Portal City and selected 36-year-old George Desmond Kamurasi as the next king of Tooro. However, Omusuuga Kamurasi, who Mwenda himself identified as chairman of the 21-member Royal Succession Committee, said he was unaware of the alleged decision.
Speaking about the claims, the Omusuuga declined to confirm that the committee had selected a successor to the late king. “I have nothing to comment on that. Where you got that, I don’t know and therefore I can’t say anything,” he said.
The statement has thrown the succession question back into uncertainty, raising fresh questions over whether the committee has actually reached a decision and, if so, whether the alleged selection has the necessary support of the Ababiito royal clan and other cultural institutions.
Mwenda announces new king
Mwenda, in a statement circulating on social media, claimed that the Royal Succession Committee had selected George Desmond Kamurasi during a meeting held at Fort Motel. According to Mwenda, 18 of the committee’s 21 members attended the meeting, while 15 reportedly voted in favour of Kamurasi.
He further claimed that the committee had been meeting regularly to deliberate on the succession following the death of King Oyo on August 26, 2026, in Texas, United States. Mwenda described George Desmond Kamurasi as a member of the royal family and said his selection was based on Tooro customs, precedents and succession arrangements. He also claimed that he had discussed the development with Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba and Chief of Land Forces Gen Kayanja Muhanga.
Mwenda further attributed support for the alleged choice to President Yoweri Museveni, claiming that the President had sent a senior Cabinet minister to Fort Portal to consult stakeholders. But these claims have not been publicly confirmed by the Omusuuga, whose alleged role in the process makes his response particularly significant. Instead, the Omusuuga’s statement has effectively placed a question mark over Mwenda’s account.
Omusuuga distances himself
The Omusuuga’s response is significant because the Royal Succession Committee is understood to be central to the process of identifying a successor within the Ababiito royal clan. Mwenda’s own statement said the committee was selected by the Royal Clan of Tooro on August 28 and chaired by Omusuuga Charles Akiiki Kamurasi. Yet the chairman has now refused to confirm that the committee selected George Desmond Kamurasi.
This creates an immediate contradiction between the claim of a completed selection and the position of the person presented as chairman of the committee. It also leaves unresolved whether the committee’s reported vote was a final decision, a recommendation or merely part of continuing consultations. The controversy is likely to intensify because succession to the Tooro throne is not merely a political or administrative process. It is deeply rooted in the traditions and institutions of the Babiito royal clan.
A succession crisis already in the making
The latest disagreement comes against the background of a succession crisis that has been building since the death of King Oyo. Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who had occupied the Tooro throne for more than three decades, died on August 26, 2026, in Texas, United States.
His death immediately triggered questions about who would succeed him, particularly because of uncertainty surrounding the identity and status of a possible heir. The succession question became even more complicated after President Museveni publicly indicated that the late king had left an heir.
The President’s remarks caused unease among some cultural leaders because sections of the royal establishment had not been publicly informed about the identity of such an heir. This created a gap between what the political leadership appeared to know and what some of the traditional leaders understood to be the position within the kingdom. The issue has since developed into a contest over who has the authority to determine the next king and how that decision should be communicated.
Earlier clash with the Prime Minister
The succession dispute has also revived earlier tensions between the Omusuuga and Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki. The Prime Minister and sections of the cultural leadership have previously differed over the management of kingdom affairs, with questions surrounding authority, consultation and the role of different institutions within the kingdom.
Those tensions have become more significant following the death of King Oyo because the succession process requires coordination between the royal clan, cultural leaders and the kingdom’s administrative structures. The emergence of competing claims about the identity of the next king therefore risks widening an already existing institutional divide.
Who is George Desmond Kamurasi?
Mwenda identified George Desmond Kamurasi as a 36-year-old member of the Babiito royal family. He claimed that Kamurasi is the son of George Desmond “Jimmy” Mugenyi, the younger brother of Patrick David Mathew Olimi Kaboyo II.
Mwenda further argued that Kamurasi had been second in line to succeed his brother, based on the will of their late father, King George Rukidi III. However, the historical and customary basis of the succession claim is now likely to come under renewed scrutiny, particularly if the chairman of the succession committee has not confirmed that the committee made the alleged selection. For the moment, Kamurasi’s reported selection remains an assertion attributed to Mwenda rather than a formally announced succession.
Burial before announcement?
Another important element in the controversy is the timing of the announcement. Mwenda said he had spoken to the Omusuuga, who allegedly told him that, according to custom, a public announcement of the new king would only be made after the burial of King Oyo. This would mean that even if the succession committee had reached an internal decision, it would not necessarily have amounted to a public enthronement or formal proclamation.
That distinction could explain why the Omusuuga has declined to confirm the announcement. However, Mwenda’s decision to publicly disclose the alleged selection before the burial has now brought the succession debate into the open.
A kingdom waiting for clarity
The latest development leaves Tooro Kingdom facing a critical moment. On one side is Mwenda’s assertion that the succession committee has already selected George Desmond Kamurasi, allegedly with overwhelming support from those who attended the meeting.
On the other is the Omusuuga’s refusal to confirm knowledge of such a decision. The contradiction has created fresh uncertainty among the Babiito and the wider population of Tooro, who are still mourning their king while waiting for a clear and authoritative succession process. The controversy also demonstrates the sensitivity surrounding the Tooro throne, where questions of custom, royal lineage, institutional authority and political influence intersect.
Until the Royal Succession Committee, the Ababiito leadership or another recognised traditional authority makes a formal announcement, the identity of the next Omukama remains contested. For now, the succession crisis has produced a striking irony: a new king has been announced to the public, but the person said to be responsible for leading the committee that selected him says he does not know where the information came from. That contradiction could prove to be the latest and most serious chapter in Tooro’s unfolding succession dispute.
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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