September 4, 2026 — The Royal Succession Committee of the Tooro Kingdom has selected George Desmond Kamurasi, 36, as the preferred successor to the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, according to veteran journalist Andrew Mwenda.
Mwenda announced the development in an X post on Friday evening, saying the 21-member Royal Succession Committee reached the decision during a meeting held at Fort Motel in Fort Portal City.
According to Mwenda, the committee met from 11am to 3pm, with 18 of its 21 members in attendance. He said 15 members voted in favour of Kamurasi, paving the way for his succession to the Tooro throne.
The committee was selected by the Royal Clan of Tooro (Ababiito) on August 28, 2026, and is chaired by Omusuuga Charles Akiiki Kamurasi. It has been meeting daily since August 31 to consider the succession following the death of King Oyo on August 26 in Texas, United States.
Who is George Kamurasi?
Kamurasi is the son of George Desmond “Jimmy” Mugenyi, the younger brother of Patrick David Mathew Olimi Kaboyo II.
Mwenda said Kamurasi was identified in the will of his late father, King George Rukidi III, as the second in line to succeed his elder brother, Olimi Kaboyo II.
His selection therefore places him within the established royal lineage as the proposed successor to King Oyo, who became one of the world’s youngest reigning monarchs when he ascended the Tooro throne in 1995.
Museveni, Muhoozi Back Committee Decision:
Mwenda also said he held discussions on Friday evening with Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Commander of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and Chairman of the Patriotic League of Uganda (PLU), as well as Gen. Kayanja Muhanga, and briefed them on the committee’s decision.
According to Mwenda, Gen. Muhoozi endorsed Kamurasi’s selection, saying it was consistent with Tooro customs, precedents and laws governing royal succession.
Mwenda further reported that Gen. Muhoozi told him that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni supports the decision of the Royal Succession Committee.
He said the President had sent a team led by a senior Cabinet minister to Fort Portal to engage key stakeholders over the succession question.
“After extensive consultations with all the key stakeholders, the committee was convinced that there is a wide consensus around the succession of Kamurasi,” Mwenda said.
Formal Announcement Still Pending:
Despite the committee’s decision, the succession is not yet expected to be publicly formalised.
Mwenda said he had spoken to Omusuuga Charles Akiiki Kamurasi, who informed him that, according to Tooro custom, the formal public announcement of the new king is made after the burial of the deceased monarch.
The development therefore marks a significant step in the process of determining the next occupant of the Tooro throne, but a formal announcement to the Babiito clan leaders remains pending.
Mwenda said he decided to disclose the committee’s decision to forestall speculation and misinformation on social media that could potentially create confusion around the succession.
The announcement comes as Tooro prepares to lay King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV to rest following his death at the age of 32.
The late monarch’s remains arrived in Uganda on Friday, September 4, with national and cultural leaders, members of the royal family and subjects paying tribute to a king who had reigned over Tooro for more than three decades.
The forthcoming burial is expected to precede the traditional and formal processes through which the Babiito clan will recognise and install the next Omukama of Tooro.
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