|Ugandan journalist and news anchor Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma has been selected as the next monarch of the Tooro Kingdom, following the death of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV last month.
Kijanangoma, a cousin of the late king, was selected as crown prince on Wednesday by a committee after a search to determine Oyo’s successor.
The journalist and editor works with the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation, the country’s state broadcaster, and is expected to be crowned later this week.
He will succeed King Oyo, who died aged 34 after battling cancer. Oyo was unmarried at the time of his death and was buried on Saturday in a ceremony expected to attract tens of thousands of mourners in a remote city near Uganda’s border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The selection of Kijanangoma has, however, sparked controversy within the royal family.
Ruth Komuntale, Oyo’s sister and closest relative, rejected the decision, saying the late king’s written will stated that he had left an heir to the throne.
“We are just very disappointed,” Komuntale told local broadcaster NBS. “Honestly, to me it’s very dramatic, trying to bring division and turmoil.”
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni had previously said Oyo left a young heir born out of wedlock. However, the Tooro selection committee looked beyond the claim and chose Kijanangoma.
His selection is seen as an attempt to maintain continuity within the kingdom while avoiding the return of a child monarch to the throne.
Oyo became king in 1995 at the age of three following the death of his father. His coronation made him the unofficial world’s youngest reigning monarch and turned him into a figure of fascination in Uganda and beyond.
During his coronation, Oyo took part in traditional rituals, including a ceremony at his father’s tomb where he was required to successfully toss nine coffee beans into the grave.
As a child king, Oyo was guided by regents appointed by the kingdom until he turned 18 and assumed full royal duties.
He also met several prominent world leaders during his reign, including former South African President Nelson Mandela. Former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi maintained a close relationship with the Tooro royal family and visited Uganda several times.
The Tooro Kingdom is one of five traditional kingdoms recognised by the Ugandan government. Although the kingdoms have no formal political sovereignty, their monarchs serve as custodians of traditional culture and continue to wield influence within their communities.
Uganda’s traditional kingdoms were abolished after independence but restored in 1993. Their monarchs are legally barred from partisan politics.
Kijanangoma’s expected coronation will therefore mark a major transition for the Tooro Kingdom, as the journalist prepares to move from broadcasting into one of Uganda’s most prominent traditional royal institutions.
Vanguard News
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