A member of the Tooro Kingdom Royal Succession Committee has explained why the reported children of the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV were not considered during the process that led to the selection of Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the possible next Omukama.
Fr Dr Charles Oyo, one of the 21 members of the succession committee, said the committee could not base its decision on reports circulating publicly about children whose royal status had not been formally established through Tooro’s traditional procedures.
Speaking to NTV Uganda, Fr Oyo said members of the Babiito clan had heard claims about a child or children left behind by King Oyo, but explained that succession matters cannot be decided based simply on information circulating in public.
He said Tooro tradition requires children born into the royal family to be formally introduced to elders through recognised cultural processes. These procedures help establish their identity, status and place within the royal family.
Fr Oyo further explained that potential royal heirs may also undergo a structured upbringing and training designed to prepare them for the responsibilities associated with the institution of the Omukama.
The issue has attracted attention after President Yoweri Museveni previously said Queen Mother Best Kemigisa had told him that King Oyo left behind a young son. Other reports have also claimed that the late king may have had additional children, although these claims have not been publicly confirmed by the Tooro Kingdom.
According to the committee, therefore, the issue was not simply whether King Oyo had biological children, but whether those children had gone through the traditional recognition processes required by the kingdom.
The succession process became necessary following King Oyo’s death. The Babiito clan initially selected Prince George Desmond Kamurasi, but he reportedly declined the throne. The clan subsequently selected Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as its preferred candidate.
Kijanangoma is a member of the Tooro royal family and the son of the late Prince Christopher Paul Kijanangoma. His selection has nevertheless sparked debate, particularly over the reported children of King Oyo.
The succession committee maintains that it followed established Tooro traditions and the information formally available to it. It says biological claims alone cannot automatically determine succession without the required traditional recognition and procedures.
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