A television journalist has been crowned king of Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom following the death of King Oyo Nyimba, whose passing triggered widespread grief and an unresolved succession dispute, according to the Associated Press.
The new monarch, a prince who had worked as a broadcaster and editor with Uganda Broadcasting Corp., selected the regnal name Edward Rukidi Nyabongo. He performed rituals overnight, was ushered into the palace and was due to be formally unveiled to his followers on Tuesday.
His coronation ceremony in Fort Portal, a remote town in western Uganda, was expected to draw thousands of people in person and through televised broadcasts.
Nyabongo was chosen by elders from the kingdom’s ruling Babiito clan from a group of eligible princes. He was not considered particularly high in the line of succession, but the elders selected him after Oyo died from cancer in August at the age of 34 without a publicly known heir.
Before his coronation, Nyabongo told the local New Vision newspaper that he would promote unity. He also said that “heritage must be matched by discipline and hard work,” adding that his family had taught him to view royal descent as “a duty to prepare for,” rather than an entitlement.
The selection has been challenged by Queen Mother Best Kemigisa. She said the written will of King Oyo had not been followed and claimed that the late king left behind a young son whose identity would be revealed at the appropriate time.
That claim has cast doubt on the legitimacy of Nyabongo’s selection and on the decision made by the Babiito elders. The alleged son has not yet been publicly identified, although purported photographs of a child referred to on social media as “Baby Oyo” have circulated widely.
The Associated Press reported that the images have given hope to devotees of the deceased monarch. Critics, however, have argued that the child, if he exists, should have been introduced to the kingdom’s elders while Oyo was still alive.
Local media also reported disagreements at Oyo’s funeral on September 12, including a brief dispute over custody of the king’s remains.
“They have demonstrated that these are the norms of the kingdom,” political analyst Nicholas Sengoba said of the Babiito’s selection of Nyabongo. “Many of these positions may not be popular.”
Oyo’s death ended the reign of a monarch who had been a public symbol of the Tooro Kingdom since childhood. He was crowned in 1995 at the age of three after the death of his father and became an object of adoration for hundreds of thousands of followers.
At his coronation, Oyo took part in a series of traditional rituals and was led into the royal cemetery for a coming-of-age ceremony. There, he successfully tossed nine coffee beans into his father’s tomb.
Oyo was once known unofficially as the world’s youngest king. He also attracted the attention of international leaders at national events, including South Africa’s Nelson Mandela. Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi developed close ties with the Tooro royal family, visiting Uganda several times and supporting Oyo and Kemigisa until his death in October 2011.
Oyo was guided by regents appointed by the kingdom until he reached adulthood at 18.
Uganda’s traditional kingdoms were abolished in the 1960s after independence from British colonial rule by a republican president who said he wanted to unify the country. They were restored in 1993.
The kingdoms have no formal governing authority in Uganda, and traditional leaders are legally barred from engaging in partisan politics. They nevertheless retain significant influence among their communities as guardians of traditional culture.
Nyabongo’s accession therefore places him at the center of both a cultural institution and an unsettled succession question. While his supporters have presented the Babiito decision as consistent with the kingdom’s established norms, the queen mother’s claim regarding Oyo’s alleged son leaves the future of the Tooro monarchy contested.
