The legal battle over who should occupy the Tooro throne has taken a new turn after Attorney General Sam Mayanja advised President Yoweri Museveni that the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV’s will should guide the succession process.
The advice comes after Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, also known as Edward Rukiidi Nyabongo I, was selected by Babiito clan elders and subsequently enthroned as Oyo’s successor.
However, members of Oyo’s immediate family have challenged the process, pointing to a 2022 will in which the late king reportedly named his biological son as the first successor, with alternative successors identified if the son could not take the throne.
The Attorney General’s position has now added a significant legal dimension to the dispute. Earlier reports indicate that the government’s legal advisers have argued that questions surrounding the validity or interpretation of the will should be addressed through the appropriate legal process, rather than settled through competing announcements or unilateral action.
The succession dispute has already divided opinion within the kingdom, with the late king’s sister, Princess Ruth Komuntale, and Queen Mother Best Kemigisa among those questioning the selection process.
Oyo, who became king at just three years old in 1995, died aged 34 on August 27, 2026, after receiving medical treatment abroad. His death triggered an intense debate over the future of the Tooro monarchy.
Repatriation of Late King Oyo’s Body Rescheduled
The key question now is whether the succession will be determined by the customary process followed by the Babiito elders, the provisions contained in Oyo’s will, or a legal interpretation that reconciles the two.
With Oyo now laid to rest, attention is shifting to how the kingdom and government will resolve the dispute while preserving the unity and dignity of Tooro.
