Ugandan commentator Andrew Mwenda has defended the Tooro Kingdom Babiito succession process, rejecting claims that the next King was selected by a “self-appointed group” as tensions over the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV’s successor continue.
In a lengthy statement shared on X, Mwenda said more than 100 Babiito princes and princesses gathered at Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal City on August 28, following King Oyo’s death, and selected a 21-member Royal Succession Committee to oversee the process.
Mwenda said the committee began its work on August 31 and considered four candidates: George Desmond Kamurasi, son of Prince Jimmy Mugenyi; a purported son of Oyo initially identified as Jacob Oyo and later as Jackson Oyo; George David Kamurasi, son of Prince Kato Rukidi; and Edward Rukiidi Kijanangoma, son of Prince Kijanangoma.
According to Mwenda, the purported son of Oyo was presented to the committee by Patrick Kawamara, the brother of Queen Mother Best Kemigisa. He claimed the committee requested a photograph of the child, information about his mother’s clan and details about her family in Tooro, but that the requested information was not provided.
Mwenda said the committee had not previously been informed about the child and became concerned after being presented with different names and no photograph. He claimed this led the committee to leave the candidate out of the selection process.
After four days of deliberations, Mwenda said the committee conducted a secret ballot in which George Desmond Kamurasi received 15 votes, while the other candidates received one vote each.
He also disputed social media claims that Kamurasi rejected the throne, saying the candidate instead asked for time to consult his wife and business partners in London. According to Mwenda, the committee eventually moved to another candidate because of the urgency surrounding the succession.
Mwenda Addresses King Oyo’s Will
Mwenda also weighed in on the late King Oyo’s 2022 will, saying it was read to members of the royal family on September 9 following a meeting involving the Queen Mother and members of the Babiito.
He said the document, dated September 14, 2022, referred to a hypothetical heir rather than conclusively naming a successor.
Mwenda further argued that, under Tooro customs as he understands them, being the biological son of a reigning King does not automatically make someone heir to the throne. He said traditional requirements also concern the circumstances of the heir’s birth and the status of the mother.
“Toro needs to know the mother and her background,” Mwenda said, while stressing that he was not alleging that King Oyo fathered a child in circumstances contrary to Tooro traditions.
His comments come as competing claims over the succession continue to generate debate within the Tooro royal family and among the wider public following King Oyo’s death.
The late Omukama died in August 2026 at the age of 34 after battling cancer. His burial is scheduled for September 12 at the Karambi Royal Tombs, while discussions over the Kingdom’s next King continue.
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