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President Yoweri Museveni has reportedly directed Gender and Labour Minister Lt Gen (Rtd) Henry Tumukunde to help resolve the disagreements surrounding the succession of the late Tooro King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV before his burial on September 12.
Tumukunde revealed the directive on Monday after arriving at Karuziika Royal Palace in Fort Portal City to pay his respects to the late monarch. He said the President had tasked him with helping the different parties find common ground on the succession question.
“I was sent by the President to resolve the matters,” Tumukunde said, indicating that government wants the disagreements addressed before the burial ceremonies take place.
The minister said consultations would begin immediately, with meetings expected to bring together members of the royal family, the Babiito royal clan and other stakeholders involved in discussions about the future leadership of the kingdom.
According to Tumukunde, the government wants the outstanding disagreements settled in time for King Oyo to receive a dignified burial without the succession dispute dominating the mourning period or creating further divisions within Tooro.
The intervention comes amid uncertainty over who should succeed King Oyo following his death in the United States on August 27 at the age of 34. The succession question has become particularly sensitive because of claims that the late monarch left behind a biological son.
Following the announcement of King Oyo’s death, Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki said the late king had left behind a prince whose identity would be revealed according to the traditions of the kingdom.
President Museveni also previously said that Queen Mother Best Kemigisa had informed him that King Oyo had left a son. The claim, however, has become one of the major points of disagreement in the succession discussions.
The Babiito royal clan, which plays a central role in the traditional process of identifying the next Omukama, has reportedly demanded that the alleged heir be presented and verified before the succession process is concluded.
The dispute has complicated the transition following the death of King Oyo, with different positions emerging over the identity of the next king and the appropriate process for recognising the successor.
To help manage the process, the Babiito clan established a 21-member Royal Succession Committee tasked with handling matters relating to the identification of the next Omukama.
On September 4, reports emerged that the committee had selected 36-year-old George Desmond Kamurasi as its preferred successor. The reports, attributed to journalist Andrew Mwenda, said the decision was reached during a meeting in Fort Portal.
Kamurasi is reportedly a member of the Babiito royal family and is related to the late King Oyo. His royal lineage reportedly runs through his father, Prince George Desmond “Jimmy” Mugenyi, who was a younger brother of King Oyo’s father, the late King Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III.
However, the reported selection of Kamurasi has not brought an end to the controversy, with questions still being raised about the alleged biological son of King Oyo and how the succession process should proceed.
The Babiito leadership has maintained that the next Omukama should be identified in accordance with Tooro customs and traditions rather than through a process resembling an ordinary political election.
Government has meanwhile urged the public to remain cautious about information circulating on social media, particularly reports concerning the succession that have not been officially confirmed by the relevant authorities or traditional leaders.
Tumukunde’s involvement therefore comes at a critical moment, with only days remaining before King Oyo’s scheduled burial. His task will involve consulting the different sides and attempting to find a position that can be accepted by the key stakeholders.
After paying his respects at Karuziika Royal Palace, Tumukunde appealed for calm, unity and respect during the mourning period. He urged the people of Tooro and Ugandans generally to focus on giving the late king a dignified send-off.
He also praised the people of Tooro and other Ugandans for the manner in which they have conducted themselves since the announcement of King Oyo’s death, saying the mourning period should remain peaceful and respectful despite the disagreements surrounding the succession.
King Oyo’s body was returned to Uganda on September 4 and taken to Karuziika Royal Palace, where mourners, cultural leaders and dignitaries have continued to pay their respects. His burial is scheduled for September 12.
The date of the burial is particularly significant because it marks 31 years since King Oyo ascended the Tooro throne in 1995 at the age of three. His reign made him one of the most recognisable traditional monarchs in Uganda and, at the time of his accession, the world’s youngest reigning monarch.
As September 12 approaches, attention is now focused on Tumukunde’s consultations and whether the government-led efforts will succeed in bringing the different sides together. The outcome could determine whether the kingdom enters the next phase of its leadership transition with a united position following King Oyo’s burial.
