Tooro royals raise dispute over reported King Oyo heir

A succession dispute is emerging in Tooro Kingdom after the Babiito royal clan demanded that the reported son of the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV be presented for verification before any succession arrangements are made.

The demand comes amid claims by Queen Mother Best Kemigisa and Tooro prime minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomire that Oyo left behind a son who is expected to succeed him.

However, the head of the Babiito clan, Omusuga Charles Kamurasi, said the clan was learning of the reported heir for the first time. Kamurasi said neither he nor other members of the Babiito clan had seen or heard about the child before Oyo’s death.

He challenged Rwomire to present the child to the clan, saying the succession process must follow established Tooro traditions and procedures. Kamurasi also criticised Rwomire for remaining in Kampala since Oyo’s death instead of being at the palace to oversee funeral arrangements.

He further disputed actions allegedly being taken by the premier, including reported efforts to have the late King’s body taken to Buziga, saying such initiatives did not represent the position of the royal family or the Babiito clan.

Dan Rubombora, a member of the Babiito clan, warned the premier against taking actions outside established traditional procedures.

Rubombora said the authority to identify and declare a successor rests with the Omusuga, and questioned why the reported heir had not previously been presented to the clan.

He also raised questions about the circumstances surrounding the reported heir, asking why Kemigisa urged Oyo during the last coronation anniversary to marry and produce an heir if she was already aware that he had a son.

Museveni confirms existence of heir

President Yoweri Museveni, in his eulogy for King Oyo, said he was relieved that the royal line would continue after Kemigisa informed him that the late king had left behind a son.

Museveni said the child would be introduced to the public as Oyo’s heir at an appropriate time. The President did not provide further details about the reported heir or explain whether the child had been formally presented to the Babiito clan.

A palace insider, who requested anonymity, said a 21-member committee constituted by the Babiito clan to oversee the succession process was prepared to consider all candidates with legitimate royal lineage, including the reported son of Oyo.

The committee is expected to examine potential heirs and determine whether they meet the requirements of Tooro’s traditional succession process before a successor is formally announced.

The emergence of the succession question adds a new dimension to preparations for Oyo’s funeral and raises questions about who has the authority to determine the next occupant of the Tooro throne.

Oyo died aged 34 in the United States last Thursday, where he had been receiving treatment for cancer. He ascended the Tooro throne in 1995 at the age of three following the death of his father, Omukama Patrick Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III.

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