FORT PORTAL — The succession dispute in Tooro Kingdom has deepened after Attorney General Dr Sam Mayanja advised that the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV’s will should be followed, while his sister, Princess Ruth Nsemere Komuntale, renewed calls for the document to be examined before the succession is considered settled.
Mayanja said any challenge to the authenticity or validity of the will should be determined by a court of law and not by the Babiito Royal Succession Committee.
The Attorney General’s position is contained in a legal opinion dated September 12, 2026, submitted to President Yoweri Museveni amid the dispute over Oyo’s successor.
Oyo died on August 27, 2026, aged 34, after reigning for more than three decades.
The legal opinion comes after the Babiito Royal Succession Committee selected Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a cousin of the late king and UBC news anchor, as successor. Kijanangoma was formally presented as Omukama during ceremonies surrounding Oyo’s burial at the Karambi Royal Tombs on September 12.
However, Oyo’s immediate family, including Queen Mother Best Kemigisa and Princess Komuntale, has rejected the succession process, maintaining that the late king left a will naming his biological son as heir.
According to the Attorney General, Oyo’s will, dated September 15, 2022, states that if he was survived by a son who was “lawfully recognised as my biological son,” that son should become heir to the Tooro throne.
“King Oyo’s will should be followed. Its validity can only be challenged in the courts of law,” Mayanja said, according to the legal opinion.
Mayanja further argued that questions regarding the authenticity or validity of the document should not be determined by the succession committee.
He advised that disputes within a traditional institution should first be handled through the appropriate customary mechanisms, including councils of elders and clan leaders, but that unresolved questions can ultimately be referred to court.
The will reportedly names Prince Komwiswa Yomeri, a son of Omusuuga Charles Kamurasi, as an alternative successor if Oyo had no son able to assume the throne.
Princess Komuntale renews call to examine will
Komuntale renewed the family’s position in a series of posts on X on September 13, saying her brother’s wishes should be thoroughly examined.
“I keep thinking about one thing now. If King Oyo left instructions concerning his successor, shouldn’t those instructions at least be examined thoroughly?” she wrote.
“My Brother left a WILL.”
Komuntale also defended Queen Mother Best Kemigisa, who has opposed the selection of Kijanangoma.
“My mother has been through thin and thick. She has proved her love, not only for the throne but for the kingdom at large,” Komuntale said, adding that what her mother wanted was for Oyo’s will to be respected.
She also framed the dispute as a question of preserving what Oyo valued rather than a contest for positions.
“What would my Brother want Tooro to look like after his burial?” she asked. “The best way to honour King Oyo [is] to protect what he loved.”
Komuntale further recalled her brother’s preference for reconciliation.
“Amidst everything, my Brother never turned a back to anyone, he wanted unity, he knew many of them, he chose Peace. OYO is no more now,” she wrote.
Succession committee’s position
The Babiito Royal Succession Committee proceeded with Kijanangoma after considering the claims surrounding Oyo’s succession.
The committee has previously indicated that it could not consider the reported son without sufficient evidence establishing his identity and traditional recognition under Babiito customs.
The question of the child’s identity and eligibility has consequently become one of the central issues in the dispute.
The Attorney General’s opinion has now introduced another dimension by arguing that the validity of Oyo’s will is a matter for the courts rather than the succession committee.
Nine coffee beans
The dispute has also raised questions about the traditional rituals associated with the transition from one Omukama to another.
During Oyo’s burial at Karambi, Kijanangoma participated in the traditional ceremony of casting nine coffee beans into the deceased king’s grave.
The ritual is associated with the transfer of kingship in Tooro.
Mayanja, however, advised that the ritual should be suspended until the succession dispute is resolved because the identity of the rightful successor remains contested.
He reportedly cited the burial of Oyo’s father, the late King Patrick Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III, when the coffee-bean ritual was conducted about three months after his burial following resolution of the succession question.
Oyo was buried on September 12 after a nine-day mourning period. His burial ceremonies were accompanied by disagreements within the royal family and the Babiito clan over the succession process.
Reports said a standoff involving members of the royal family and officials at the Karambi Royal Tombs delayed proceedings for more than two hours before the burial was completed.
Prime Minister calls for reconciliation
Following the burial, Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki called for reconciliation and reflection over the events surrounding Oyo’s death and burial.
Rwomiire acknowledged that the kingdom faced difficult institutional questions and said the events should provide an opportunity to strengthen its institutions and rebuild trust.
“This is not the time for winners and losers. It is the time for responsible leadership, humility and reconciliation,” Rwomiire said.
“Tooro comes first. Above personalities. Above positions. Above disagreements. Above individual interests,” he added.
The succession dispute has now moved beyond the question of who was selected by the Babiito committee to the legal and customary status of Oyo’s reported will.
While Kijanangoma has been presented through the traditional succession process and has participated in royal rites, Oyo’s family continues to insist that his written instructions must be considered.
The Attorney General’s opinion has similarly called for the will to be respected unless its validity is successfully challenged in court.
The competing positions leave the central question of the succession unresolved: whether the traditional selection of Kijanangoma will stand, or whether Oyo’s reported will and the claim of his biological son will lead to a new determination of who should inherit the Tooro throne.
