President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will attend the coronation of Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I as the 13th Omukama of Tooro on September 29, 2026, the government has confirmed.
The coronation will take place at Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal City following the death of Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV on August 27.
The confirmation was made by State Minister for Gender and Culture Affairs Mary Kuteesa during a joint press conference with Omusuuga Charles Kayondo Kamurasi, head of the Babiito Royal Clan.
Kuteesa said the government had been formally informed by Tooro Kingdom of the outcome of the succession process following Oyo’s death.
She described the coronation as an important cultural occasion representing continuity of the Tooro monarchy and called on all stakeholders to maintain peace, unity and dignity as preparations continue.
The Babiito Royal Clan selected Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as Oyo’s successor, with the Tooro Kingdom Supreme Council subsequently endorsing the decision and setting September 29 for his enthronement. He will assume the royal name Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I.
The government’s confirmation of Museveni’s attendance comes amid a dispute within the royal family over the succession.
Members of Oyo’s family, including Queen Mother Best Kemigisa and Princess Ruth Komuntale, have maintained that the late king left a will naming his son as heir. The Babiito clan, however, has proceeded with the selection and preparations for Nyabongo I’s enthronement.
The Attorney General has since cleared the kingdom to continue with preparations, noting that no formal court appeal had been registered to stop the process.
Kuteesa had previously urged the people of Tooro to allow the Babiito Royal Clan to handle the succession in accordance with the kingdom’s customs and the law.
She also cited the Institution of Traditional or Cultural Leaders Act, 2011, which provides a legal framework for the recognition of traditional and cultural leaders.
Preparations for the September 29 ceremony are already underway at Karuziika Palace and other royal sites. The king-designate is expected to undergo traditional rites before his formal enthronement.
The organising committee has said the ceremony will combine religious proceedings, royal rituals and cultural traditions. Nyabongo I is expected to move to Rwengoma Palace on September 26 before proceeding to Karuziika Palace ahead of the September 29 ceremony.
Museveni’s attendance adds a significant government presence to the transition after earlier concerns over the relationship between the succession process and the central government. The President had earlier sought a legal opinion on the succession following the death of Oyo.
The coronation will formally mark the beginning of Nyabongo I’s reign if the scheduled ceremony proceeds as planned.
