Journalist to be crowned king in Uganda after bitter succession dispute

Journalist set to be crowned king in Uganda after bitter succession dispute

Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma Nyabongo II, who is due to be crowned king of Uganda's Tooro kingdom later, has for years been a well-known figure in the country.

To many Ugandans, he was not seen as the heir to the throne, but as a storyteller and as a long-serving anchor and editor at the state broadcaster.

Now Kijanangoma, 56, has become the focus of attention himself, with his ascent to the Tooro throne triggering controversy and reactions far beyond Uganda.

Tooro is one of Uganda's four main officially recognised historical kingdoms. For the past 31 years, it has been led by King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who was once called a "boy king" after becoming monarch as an infant.

Oyo became king in 1995 at only three years old, after his father died. Once the world's youngest monarch, he ruled until he died last month of cancer, aged just 34.

The coronation is a celebration marked by traditional rituals beginning at midnight. The new king then walks about 4km (2.5 miles) to the official Karuziika royal palace, where he is crowned.

A mock battle follows to show that kingship is not easily won, after which he is blessed by members of the royal Babiito clan, Tooro kingdom Information Minister Charles Mwanguhya told the BBC Focus on Africa podcast.

He then carries out other ceremonies signifying his taking of the throne, before sitting on it and having a real crown placed on his head to mark his new authority and his new role as the new Tooro king.

But choosing Kijanangoma as king was anything but simple.

By tradition, a recognised son of the late king is supposed to succeed him. Close royal relatives said Oyo had left behind a young son and a will instructing that the child should take the throne next.

However, the son has never been shown to the public, and he was not recognised by the committee of 21 Babiito clan members who select the king and ultimately chose Kijanangoma.

The late King Oyo was never publicly married, and little is known about his wife or their son.

Even so, his mother, Queen Best Kemigisa, argued that the late king's will should have been honoured.

The royal succession committee, however, dismissed her wishes, saying its selection process followed Tooro customs and traditions.

As a result, the new king has found himself at the centre of a succession dispute, with Kemigisa and her close relatives unhappy with the outcome.

The late King Oyo's mother has spoken of her pain over the succession row

Kemigisa described Kijanangoma's selection as the "announcement of a second king" being "made after the will of King Oyo was read to members of the royal family".

"As a mother, that was extraordinarily painful," she said, adding that celebrations for the next king were taking place "only metres from where my son's body lay".

She later said Oyo's son, who was in the US state of Texas, had been expected to come home but could not do so because of a "tense and polarised succession dispute".

"No child should be placed in circumstances where returning to his father's homeland could mean being drawn into hostility and conflict," Kemigisa said in a post on X.

But according to the Tooro kingdom's information minister, the son being referred to "hasn't been presented anywhere, which means there is a growing acceptance that sad as it may be, King Oyo didn't leave a son behind".

While King Oyo inherited the crown from his father, Mwanguhya told the BBC "the crown has moved to a different line within the ruling clan".

According to royal palace sources, a king must come from the Babiito clan, specifically from the lineage of King George David Matthew Kamurasi Rukidi III.

Kijanangoma and the late King Oyo were cousins. Both are grandsons of Rukidi III, the 11th king, or Omukama, who ruled Tooro from 1928 to 1965.

Kijanangoma was one of several people considered for the position, including Prince George Desmond Kamurasi, who plays football for one of the UK's best-known amateur clubs.

The succession committee said the South East Dons captain and goalkeeper turned down the throne, citing other responsibilities.

After being formally announced, Kijanangoma pledged that the palace would be open to the people and said he would concentrate on unity and development.

"I ask you for one thing - they have given me this title as king but I cannot work alone, I have to work with you," he said.

President Museveni (left), who restored the traditional kingdoms in the 1990s, was pictured with Tooro's King Oyo (right) in 2010

Uganda's traditional kings hold no formal political power, but they still carry cultural influence and command strong loyalty in the communities they lead.

The country has four main kingdoms, the largest and most prominent being Buganda in the central region, which includes the capital Kampala.

The kingdoms were abolished in 1967, but the government under President Yoweri Museveni restored them in the early 1990s.

The government said the move was intended to encourage cultural pride and national unity, though it has also been seen as a way to appease communities and build political loyalty.

In the middle of the succession dispute, the government backed the Babiito clan's choice of Kijanangoma. Attorney General Sam Mayanja said the Tooro kingdom was cleared to proceed with the coronation because there had been no formal complaint against him.

The government announced the coronation date, and Museveni is due to attend.

The president's son and military chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has also openly backed Kijanangoma. "Long may he reign," he posted on X.

Kijanangoma's name itself reflects his royal background.

His father, the first Kijanangoma, was born in the year King Rukidi III became king. The king gave him the name, which means the "one who comes with the royal drum".

The drum of royalty, foretold two generations ago, is now returning to its bearer.

Kijanangoma was born in 1970 and grew up at the family home in Kidukuru village in Fort Portal, about 300 km (186 miles) from Kampala.

He left the village to continue his studies and graduated with a mass communication degree from Uganda's prestigious Makerere University in 1999.

He worked as a broadcaster for more than two decades, including in neighbouring Rwanda and at home with the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation.

Kijanangoma has spent much of his adult life as a journalist

The years spent engaging with the public, meeting leaders and covering national affairs may now help him as he returns to the community he came from, this time as its leader.

After being named king, Kijanangoma said he would use the connections he built over 21 years as a journalist "to get good things for our people".

His mother, Assimwe Yusta Kijanangoma, says she is sure he is ready for the role. She says his upbringing was deeply rooted in tradition.

"I really raised him with the teachings of the old kingdom of a cane and instructions and scolding. I laugh with him, and other times I scold him," she told the BBC.

She added: "Eddy is well-mannered, he does not fight, or shout, even when wronged, he says a few words and does not go so much into it."

She says she feels happy for her son, though she admits to mixed emotions, especially as he is succeeding after the death of a "great man".