Her Majesty Kemigisa responds to the Kingdom succession plans

10 September 2026, 1:00 pm

By Kyamanduma Patrick

The newly announced King of Tooro still has a journey to approval.

The Tooro Queen Mother, Best Kemigisa, has rejected the selection of Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the new King of Tooro, accusing the 21-member succession committee of disregarding the late King Oyo’s purported will and an earlier agreement to suspend succession proceedings until after his burial.

In a statement issued this morning, Ms Kemigisa said the committee’s announcement of Kijanangoma contradicted the contents of the document presented as King Oyo’s will and an agreement reached during a meeting chaired by Maj. Gen. Henry Tumukunde, the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development.

Queen Mother Kemigisa said the will was read at about 4pm yesterday in the presence of members of the royal family and government officials, including Maj. Gen. Tumukunde.

Sources said Patrick Kawamara, a brother of the Queen Mother, presented the name of the purported son of King Oyo to the committee, but no photograph of the prince was available to accompany his candidature, unlike those of the other candidates.

However, the Queen Mother said the reading of the purported will was followed by an agreement that another meeting would be held today to address the succession question.

She said she was therefore disappointed that, while King Oyo’s body was still lying in state, members of the succession committee held a separate press conference and announced Kijanangoma as the new king.

Queen Mother Kemigisa questioned why the announcement had to be made at such a time, saying the celebrations could have been held elsewhere rather than while her son was still lying in his casket.

The Queen Mother called on all parties to stop the dispute over the throne, saying there is a proper time to handle succession matters, but that the immediate priority should be mourning and burying King Oyo.

King Oyo’s sister, Princess Ruth Komuntale Nsemere, also rejected the announcement and was joined by her aunts, Princess Elizabeth Bagaya and Princess Margaret Komubaizi, in denouncing the selection.