UBC journalist Edward Kijanangoma emerges as new Omukama of Tooro

9 September 2026, 8:12 pm

By Collins Ainomugisha

In a dramatic turn in the history of the Tooro Kingdom, veteran broadcaster and royal family member Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma has emerged as the new Omukama of Tooro, succeeding the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.

Kijanangoma, who is known to Ugandans through his work as a journalist and news presenter at the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), now finds himself at the centre of one of Uganda’s most significant traditional transitions following the death of King Oyo on August 27, 2026.

His emergence brings together two worlds with which he has been closely associated: journalism and the Babiito royal institution.

The new king comes from the wider Babiito royal family, one of the historic royal houses of Tooro. His connection to the royal lineage places him among the princes whose families have remained closely associated with the Tooro throne across generations.

Kijanangoma has previously been involved in activities bringing members of the wider Tooro royal family together. Reports indicate that he organised a gathering of the great-grandchildren of former Tooro kings in 2013, demonstrating his longstanding involvement in matters concerning the royal family.

His professional background in journalism could also bring a different dimension to the institution. Having spent years communicating with the public through broadcasting, Kijanangoma would bring experience in public communication, current affairs and community engagement to the throne.

His reported emergence comes at a sensitive moment for the kingdom. King Oyo, who ascended the throne at only three years of age in 1995, died at the age of 34 after a period of illness. His death brought to an end a 31-year reign that saw him grow from the world’s youngest reigning monarch into an internationally recognised cultural leader.

The succession of a new Omukama is therefore more than the replacement of an individual monarch. It marks the beginning of a new chapter for a kingdom whose institution continues to play an important cultural and social role in western Uganda.

For Kijanangoma, the transition from the UBC newsroom to Karuziika Royal Palace would represent an extraordinary journey from reporting on the affairs of the nation to becoming part of the story he once covered.

As Tooro mourns King Oyo and looks towards the future, the reported emergence of Edward Kijanangoma would signal a new era, in which the microphone of a journalist gives way to the mantle of a king.

From the newsroom to the throne, Edward Kijanangoma’s reported journey would rank among the most remarkable royal transitions in modern history.