Uganda's King Oyo buried amid calls for unity over his successor

Uganda's King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, once recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's youngest reigning monarch, was laid to rest on Saturday after a period of dispute over his succession. The 34‑year‑old ruler of the Tooro kingdom in western Uganda had ascended the throne as a toddler and reigned until his death last month while receiving cancer treatment in the United States. Tooro, one of Uganda’s traditional kingdoms, was abolished in 1967 and reinstated in the 1990s under President Yoweri Museveni. Its monarchs are regarded as cultural leaders rather than political authorities. Thousands of mourners lined the streets of Fort Portal as the king’s casket was conveyed to the royal tombs, where a private ceremony was conducted. Oyo’s early accession earned him a place in the Guinness World Records as the youngest monarch during his reign. Television presenter Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, 56, who had been named by clan elders as the prospective successor, reportedly placed nine coffee beans into the grave—a ritual symbolizing the conclusion of one reign and the commencement of another. Days before the burial, however, Oyo’s family rejected Kijanangoma’s claim to the throne. Princess Ruth Komuntale, the late king’s sister, stated that he had left a will drafted in 2022 designating his young son as heir; the child’s identity has not been disclosed. Queen Best Kemigisa, Oyo’s mother, said that royal guards had been withdrawn from the palace and soldiers deployed, limiting the family’s movement and ability to receive visitors, which she described as “house arrest.” During the funeral, Archbishop of the Church of Uganda Stephen Kazimba Mugalu appealed for unity, declaring, “Words spoken successful grief tin origin pain, part and conflict. It tin adjacent destruct the bequest of the king we are mourning,” helium told mourners. President Yoweri Museveni echoed the appeal, urging that the matter be resolved “and to favour unity implicit division.” The clan responsible for the succession defended its selection of Kijanangoma. Omusuuga Charles Karumasi, head of the Babiito royal clan, affirmed, “We person done everything successful observance of the civilization and traditions of Tooro. We indispensable each sphere bid and serenity.”