Uganda’s ‘Kings Without Kingdoms’: Tooro Kingdom Buries King As Prince Dies
By Black Star News Photos: Wikimedia Commons As is now tradition whenever churches consecrate new bishops, or mosques install new leaders, all enthroned kings and cultural leaders in Uganda are assure of free gifts of cars, State security personnel and other amenities that cushion them. In fact, the clamour for one to become a leader nowadays in the country is irresistible. For the kings and cultural leaders, however, the clamour has bred much more disunity, rivalry and feuds because the State has attached a juicy monthly stipend to the institutions of traditional and cultural leaders gazetted in Uganda. This attachment, besides the Constitution which bars them from participating in partisan politics, is said to have relegated them to become ‘kings without kingdoms’; for they have to kow-tow a particular line. It is said traditional and cultural leaders in Uganda have been nipped in the bud. Moreover, in the advent of the dot com generation, many young people are much more attracted to western world-lifestyle and will little to do with the-now largely eroded traditions and cultures of yore. An outstanding hitherto un-African example is girls and women—now emancipated and therefore ‘equal’ to men—can wear trousers. Wearing of long hair braids imitating white women, bleaching to dodge African black skin color, are among the failures of traditional and cultural institutions in Uganda. However, only two days after the burial of the world’s youngest king Oyo Nyimba Iguru Kabamba Rukidi IV of western Uganda’s Tooro kingdom on September 12, the Musuuga (Regent or caretaker) declared that Gen. Yoweri Museveni had donated goodies to the newly-elected king whose enthronement is still a contestation. “Today [September 14], we received President Museveni’s support, including the official royal car, security pick up and security personnel for King Edward Kijanangoma Nyabongo. We will follow the President’s advice, while noting that the Attorney General’s legal advice is from a Mukopi!” Musuuga Charles Kamurasi, said on September 14. Mukopi is a derogative for a commoner. In a September 12 three-page legal opinion to Museveni, the Attorney-General Dr. Sam Mayanja had suggested that the late King Oyo’s September 14, 2022-dated Will be respected. According to the Will, King Oyo fronted his would-be biological son to inherit the kingdom’s reigns on his demise. When Oyo died in the US on August 27, his Queen Mother, Best Kemigisa, produced the Will, but did not up until now introduce to Tooro’s royal clan—the Babiito—the purported heir allegedly born in 2023. Then three-year-old Oyo himself took over from his father who died in August 1995. Oyo ruled under regents until 2010 when he clocked 18 years and was crowned king; thus becoming the world’s youngest ever monarch. On August 31, the Babiito then constituted a 21-member committee to select the new king who, according to Tooro custom, is the one to bury his predecessor by throwing one-by-one nine coffee beans into the grave of the fallen king to culturally signify the end of the dead king’s reign and the beginning and start of a successor kingship. The Babiito settled for State-run Uganda Broadcasting Corporation’s television journalist Edward Kijanangoma on September 8 before the burial rites could take place on September 12. In a statement the Queen Mother said she was “writing with a heavy heart” three days to her son’s interment, Kemigisa said, “The same Babiito clan members said he [Oyo] was too young at 3-years-old to be king and that his father, Omukama Patrick, had left no will naming him successor,” but, “By the grace of God, my son went on to serve Tooro for 31 years. He made friends across Uganda and around the world.” In the statement, the Queen Mother said the Will clearly set out the order of succession to the Tooro throne. “But that same evening, while my son’s body was still lying next to us, these select clan members held a press conference and declared their own King in disregard of the Will and the agreement with the [Government’s Social Development] minister [Gen. Henry Tumukunde]. They could have done this anywhere else. Instead, they chose to jubilate while my son was still lying in his casket next to them,” Kemigisa said: “That is what has hurt us most. My daughter is devastated. Our family is grieving.” The Queen Mother also claimed security was heavily deployed to clampdown on her free movement; an accusation government went on to deny. “And now with the security deployment around the Palace, we cannot leave or receive people freely. We are under house arrest…I also appeal to those fighting over the throne: Please, there will be time for all of that. Let us grieve and bury my son King Oyo. He was a good son. He was a good King. He loved Tooro and served his people for 31 years. Most importantly, he served God,” Kemigisa stated. “He has gone to be with the Lord. Please allow us to send him home with the digni
Black News 
By Black Star News
Photos: Wikimedia Commons
As is now tradition whenever churches consecrate new bishops, or mosques install new leaders, all enthroned kings and cultural leaders in Uganda are assure of free gifts of cars, State security personnel and other amenities that cushion them. In fact, the clamour for one to become a leader nowadays in the country is irresistible. For the kings and cultural leaders, however, the clamour has bred much more disunity, rivalry and feuds because the State has attached a juicy monthly stipend to the institutions of traditional and cultural leaders gazetted in Uganda. This attachment, besides the Constitution which bars them from participating in partisan politics, is said to have relegated them to become ‘kings without kingdoms’; for they have to kow-tow a particular line. It is said traditional and cultural leaders in Uganda have been nipped in the bud. Moreover, in the advent of the dot com generation, many young people are much more attracted to western world-lifestyle and will little to do with the-now largely eroded traditions and cultures of yore. An outstanding hitherto un-African example is girls and women—now emancipated and therefore ‘equal’ to men—can wear trousers. Wearing of long hair braids imitating white women, bleaching to dodge African black skin color, are among the failures of traditional and cultural institutions in Uganda.
However, only two days after the burial of the world’s youngest king Oyo Nyimba Iguru Kabamba Rukidi IV of western Uganda’s Tooro kingdom on September 12, the Musuuga (Regent or caretaker) declared that Gen. Yoweri Museveni had donated goodies to the newly-elected king whose enthronement is still a contestation.
“Today [September 14], we received President Museveni’s support, including the official royal car, security pick up and security personnel for King Edward Kijanangoma Nyabongo. We will follow the President’s advice, while noting that the Attorney General’s legal advice is from a Mukopi!” Musuuga Charles Kamurasi, said on September 14. Mukopi is a derogative for a commoner.
In a September 12 three-page legal opinion to Museveni, the Attorney-General Dr. Sam Mayanja had suggested that the late King Oyo’s September 14, 2022-dated Will be respected. According to the Will, King Oyo fronted his would-be biological son to inherit the kingdom’s reigns on his demise. When Oyo died in the US on August 27, his Queen Mother, Best Kemigisa, produced the Will, but did not up until now introduce to Tooro’s royal clan—the Babiito—the purported heir allegedly born in 2023.
Then three-year-old Oyo himself took over from his father who died in August 1995. Oyo ruled under regents until 2010 when he clocked 18 years and was crowned king; thus becoming the world’s youngest ever monarch.
On August 31, the Babiito then constituted a 21-member committee to select the new king who, according to Tooro custom, is the one to bury his predecessor by throwing one-by-one nine coffee beans into the grave of the fallen king to culturally signify the end of the dead king’s reign and the beginning and start of a successor kingship. The Babiito settled for State-run Uganda Broadcasting Corporation’s television journalist Edward Kijanangoma on September 8 before the burial rites could take place on September 12.
In a statement the Queen Mother said she was “writing with a heavy heart” three days to her son’s interment, Kemigisa said, “The same Babiito clan members said he [Oyo] was too young at 3-years-old to be king and that his father, Omukama Patrick, had left no will naming him successor,” but, “By the grace of God, my son went on to serve Tooro for 31 years. He made friends across Uganda and around the world.”
In the statement, the Queen Mother said the Will clearly set out the order of succession to the Tooro throne.
“But that same evening, while my son’s body was still lying next to us, these select clan members held a press conference and declared their own King in disregard of the Will and the agreement with the [Government’s Social Development] minister [Gen. Henry Tumukunde]. They could have done this anywhere else. Instead, they chose to jubilate while my son was still lying in his casket next to them,” Kemigisa said: “That is what has hurt us most. My daughter is devastated. Our family is grieving.” The Queen Mother also claimed security was heavily deployed to clampdown on her free movement; an accusation government went on to deny.
“And now with the security deployment around the Palace, we cannot leave or receive people freely. We are under house arrest…I also appeal to those fighting over the throne: Please, there will be time for all of that. Let us grieve and bury my son King Oyo. He was a good son. He was a good King. He loved Tooro and served his people for 31 years. Most importantly, he served God,” Kemigisa stated.
“He has gone to be with the Lord. Please allow us to send him home with the dignity and respect he deserves,” pleaded the Queen Mother.
And much as the Babiito have selected Oyo’s replacement who now awaits the rituals of enthronement in accordance with Tooro kingdom’s traditions and customs, Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister, Norbert Mao, seems to be wiping the bereaving Queen Mother’s succession contest tears. “Installing a king is solely dependent on the tradition of a specific tribe. If there is a dispute, the law spells it out clearly. If there is rivalry, that rivalry must be completed, then your name is published in the Gazette,” Mao said. According to Mao, the gazettement of a cultural leader is an important step in completing the formal recognition process.
“I am not sure that the Tooro succession matter should go to the confrontational process of Court. This is where the State could establish an arbitration process that is less confrontational…” former Inspector-General of Government, Augustine Ruzindana wedges a consolation. If coronated, journalist Kijanangoma will reign over Tooro kingdom as Omukama (king) Edward Kijanangoma Nyabongo I. The new king, meanwhile, announced on September 15 the death of his elder brother, Prince David Kijanangoma Araali who has been battling throat cancer. His cousin, Oyo, too, succumbed to cancer. Araali, in 2015, dared Oyo’s Omukama ship whom he accused of improperly executing his royal duties. Araali then declared himself king which then tore the royal family apart, but the dispute was resolved amicably in 2019.
