Tooro Queen Mother Best Kemigisa has revealed that escalating leadership disputes following the death of King Oyo forced the royal family to leave his child in the United States.
Tooro Queen Mother Best Kemigisa has revealed that an intense succession dispute following the passing of Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV forced the royal family to keep the late King's child in Texas.
A more than two-hour standoff erupted at Karambi Royal Tombs on Saturday as Queen Mother Best Kemigisa initially refused to allow the burial of her son to proceed over disagreement on who would perform the traditional nine coffee beans ritual, according to reports.
From his death in the United States on 27 August 2026 to his burial at Karambi Royal Tombs exactly 31 years after his coronation, the story of Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV has been marked by grief, a bitter succession battle, high-level rituals, public tension and many unanswered questions that still hang over the Tooro Kingdom.
In a powerful historical coincidence, Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV was laid to rest on 12 September 2026 — exactly 31 years after he was installed as King of Tooro as a three-year-old on the same date in 1995.
Reports that Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma has rejected the Tooro throne are circulating, but no verified public statement from the UBC news anchor has emerged as the succession crisis intensifies one day before King Oyo’s burial.
Tooro Queen Mother Best Kemigisa has claimed that the royal family is under house arrest at Karuziika Palace after royal guards were removed and troops deployed, just days before the burial of King Oyo.
Tooro Kingdom has released the official burial programme for the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, restricting formal speeches to four speakers and setting a tightly timed schedule for the interment at Karambi Royal Tombs on 12 September.
The family of the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV has rejected the announcement of Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the new King of Tooro, insisting the late monarch left a will identifying his son as the rightful heir.
