Uganda’s King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who had ruled the traditional Tooro kingdom from the age of three, was buried on Saturday after his death last month while receiving cancer treatment in the United States.
The 34‑year‑old monarch, whose reign earned him a Guinness World Records title as the world’s youngest king, was laid to rest in Fort Portal where a private ceremony took place. Thousands of mourners lined the streets as his casket was carried to the royal tombs.
TV presenter Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, 56, who had been named the next king by clan elders, reportedly cast nine coffee beans into Oyo’s grave – a ritual signifying the end of one reign and the start of another. However, Oyo’s family had earlier rejected Kijanangoma as the successor, insisting that the late king’s 2022 will named his young son as heir. The boy’s identity has never been disclosed.
Oyo’s mother, Queen Best Kemigisa, said royal guards had been withdrawn from the palace and soldiers deployed, restricting the family’s movement and describing the situation as “house arrest.”
Amid the dispute, Archbishop Stephen Kazimba Mugalu of the Church of Uganda urged mourners to seek unity, warning that words spoken in grief could cause division and destroy the king’s legacy. President Yoweri Museveni also called for a resolution that favoured unity over division.
The clan overseeing the succession defended its choice of Kijanangoma, with head of the Babiito royal clan Omusuuga Charles Karumasi stating, “We have done everything in observance of the culture and traditions of Tooro. We must all preserve peace and serenity.”
As the kingdom grapples with the succession, observers hope that the new monarch, once confirmed, will bring stability and honour the late king’s legacy.
