King Oyo of Uganda Buried in Fort Portal as Cousin Succeeds Throne Following Dispute

Burial rituals in Fort Portal

Thousands of mourners gathered in western Uganda on Saturday for the funeral of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, concluding a nine-day mourning period. The late monarch, who died of cancer in the United States on 27 August at age 34, was buried at the Karambi Royal Tombs outside Fort Portal. A hearse draped in the blue-and-yellow Tooro flag transported the casket from the royal palace following a service at St. John's Cathedral. Royal guards wearing orange tunics and beating wooden sticks led the six-kilometer procession to the cemetery. During the burial, newly designated successor Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma placed bark cloth on Oyo's body, poured milk from a calabash onto the ground, and tossed nine coffee berries into the grave to introduce the new ruler to ancestral spirits.

Royal elders select television anchor

The burial followed a succession dispute within the Tooro Kingdom's ruling Babiito clan. Clan elders initially approached George Desmond Kamurasi, a cousin of Oyo and goalkeeper for London-based team SE Dons, to take the throne. Kamurasi declined the offer due to existing personal responsibilities. The elders committee then selected Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, another cousin of the late king who works as an editor and news anchor for the state broadcaster Uganda Broadcasting Corporation. National authorities intervened during crisis talks on Friday to secure Kijanangoma's accession ahead of the required burial rites.

Although he became king and carried responsibilities far beyond what most people ever experience, he never completely lost the young boy who loved to have fun.

Family dispute over unverified heir

The appointment triggered resistance from Oyo's mother and sister, who argued that the late king's will designated his son as heir. Oyo never married, and the existence of a son was first disclosed in the official announcement of his death by the kingdom's prime minister on 27 August. Clan elders maintained that Oyo had never introduced an heir to them. Ugandan journalist Andrew Mwenda stated that the immediate family had not produced a photograph of the child or disclosed details regarding the mother. Queen Mother Best Kemigisa called for the succession contest to pause until after the burial.

I also appeal to those fighting over the throne: please, there will be time for all of that. Let us grieve and bury my son King Oyo.

Legacy and cultural status in Uganda

Oyo ascended the throne in 1995 at age three following the death of his father, King Olimi III, ruling under regents until reaching adulthood at 18. Uganda had abolished traditional kingdoms following independence from Britain but restored them in 1993 as cultural institutions without formal political power. During his reign, Oyo served as a United Nations goodwill ambassador for HIV and AIDS prevention and promoted environmental initiatives, leading the Anglican Church of Uganda to pledge 15 million trees in his memory. With the late king's relatives alleging that the elders bypassed his written will, the succession dispute now moves toward potential court challenges.