Govt, Babiito clan weigh next step in Tooro succession

The death of Tooro’s Omukama, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, has left the kingdom facing a delicate transition, with grief, tradition, law and the question of royal succession unfolding side by side.

King Oyo died on August 27, 2026, aged 34, ending a reign that began when he was three following the death of his father, Omukama Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III, in 1995. He was formally crowned after reaching adulthood and became one of Uganda’s most prominent cultural leaders.

As preparations for his burial slated for September 12, 2026, gather pace, attention has shifted to who will succeed him.

The succession question has become particularly sensitive because of conflicting accounts over whether King Oyo left a biological son who could inherit the throne.

When announcing the king’s death, Tooro kingdom prime minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki said King Oyo had left behind a prince who would eventually be revealed in accordance with Tooro tradition.

However, Omusuga Charles Kayondo Kamurasi, head of the Babiito royal clan, later said he had no knowledge of such a child, raising questions over the succession process.

The Babiito have since asserted their traditional role. A 21-member committee of Babiito elders has been constituted to oversee the succession process and identify the next Omukama in accordance with Tooro customs.

The developments have placed President Yoweri Museveni, the Constitution and the Babiito at the centre of the unfolding transition.

Speaking at a late press briefing on September 2, 2026, at the residence of the late King Oyo in Buziga, Makindye Division, on preparations for the burial, gender, labour and social development minister Gen. Henry Tumukunde said the government had begun coordinating arrangements for the return and burial of the late king.

Minister Henry Tumukunde addressing the media at the late king’s Buziga residence on Wednesday. Photo by Nickson Turyahikayo

Tumukunde said President Museveni had assigned the Prime Minister to coordinate an inter-ministerial committee involving the Office of the President, the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, the Tooro kingdom and other government institutions.

The preparations include transportation of the king’s body, security, public health, traffic management, accommodation, protocol and arrangements for mourners and foreign visitors.

But Tumukunde also addressed the potentially more difficult question of succession, urging the royal family, Babiito, elders, political and cultural leaders and the public to exercise restraint.

He said the Government would not rush to pronounce a successor before receiving the appropriate guidance from the President and the cultural institution of Tooro, specifically the Babiito, who are the ruling clan.

His position reflects the delicate balance between Uganda’s constitutional framework and the customs governing traditional institutions.

The Institution of Traditional or Cultural Leaders Act, 2011, recognises succession based on birth, descent and the customs and traditions of the people concerned. It also provides mechanisms for resolving disputes within traditional institutions, beginning with elders or clan leaders.

Tumukunde said the succession process will require tradition and law to work alongside each other.

The Babiito committee, operating under the leadership of the Omusuga, is expected to examine the royal lineage and guide the traditional process before a successor is presented through the appropriate kingdom structures.

Tumukunde warned against competing claims and unverified information circulating on social media, urging the public to rely on official communication from the Government and the Tooro kingdom.

He said King Oyo was remembered for promoting peace, unity, environmental conservation, youth empowerment, sportsmanship and service to society.

“The whole world is watching how Uganda mourns its king,” was the essence of his message.

The immediate government priority, he said, is to ensure that King Oyo receives a dignified burial befitting a king and a national cultural figure.