By TheDailyNewsHub
A succession dispute in Uganda’s historic Tooro Kingdom has escalated sharply after Queen Mother Best Kemigisa accused security forces of restricting the movement of the royal family and placing them under what she described as “house arrest.”
The dispute follows the death of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who died on August 27, 2026, at the age of 34 while undergoing cancer treatment in the United States.
The Tooro royal succession committee has since selected Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a television news anchor and cousin of the late king, as the new monarch.
But the decision has been rejected by members of Oyo’s immediate family, who say the late king left a will identifying his biological son as his successor.
Queen Mother alleges ‘house arrest’
In a statement issued on Thursday, September 10, Queen Mother Kemigisa said soldiers had been deployed around the royal palace after royal guards were removed.
She alleged that the deployment had restricted the family’s ability to leave the palace or receive visitors.
“We cannot leave or receive people freely. We are under house arrest,” Kemigisa said, according to Ugandan media reports.
She appealed to Uganda’s military leadership and President Yoweri Museveni to allow the family to mourn and bury King Oyo peacefully.
The allegations had not received an immediate response from the Ugandan military at the time of reporting.
Family challenges new king
At the heart of the dispute is the question of who should inherit the Tooro throne.
The succession committee announced Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the new king on Wednesday.
However, Oyo’s sister, Princess Ruth Komuntale, subsequently said the late monarch had left a will naming his biological son as heir.
A copy of the relevant section of the reported 2022 will states that if Oyo died with a son “lawfully recognized as my biological Son,” that son would be appointed heir to the Tooro throne.
The existence of the son had not previously been publicly known. King Oyo was unmarried, and details about the child and his legal status have not been publicly disclosed.
The succession committee, however, selected an adult member of the royal family rather than the undisclosed child.
Dispute over the late king’s will
Queen Mother Kemigisa says the late king’s will was read to members of the royal family and government representatives before the rival succession announcement.
According to her account, those present agreed to continue discussions under the leadership of retired Major General Henry Tumukunde, who represented President Museveni.
She alleged that members of the royal clan nevertheless proceeded to announce their preferred successor later that day.
The Queen Mother criticised the timing of the announcement, saying her son’s body was still lying in the palace as the family prepared for his burial.
She has called for the succession dispute to be suspended until after the funeral.
Who is Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma?
The newly selected monarch is a cousin of the late King Oyo and works as a news anchor and editor with Uganda Broadcasting Corporation.
His selection has created a major divide within the royal family because Oyo’s immediate relatives maintain that the late king’s wishes should determine the succession.
The Tooro Kingdom, located in western Uganda, is one of the country’s traditional kingdoms. Although such kingdoms have no formal political authority under Uganda’s republican system, they retain considerable cultural and historical significance.
Government calls for calm
Ugandan authorities have urged those involved to resolve the succession dispute peacefully and according to Tooro customs, traditions and Ugandan law.
The government has previously warned the public against relying on rumours and unverified social-media reports surrounding the king’s death and burial.
It has also pointed to provisions in the Institution of Traditional or Cultural Leaders Act, 2011, which provide mechanisms for resolving disputes within traditional institutions, including disputes over succession.
King Oyo’s burial is scheduled for Saturday at the royal tombs in Fort Portal, with thousands of mourners expected to attend.
For now, however, the funeral has been overshadowed by a succession dispute that pits the late king’s immediate family against sections of the Babiito royal clan.
The allegations of military restrictions around the palace have added another layer of tension to the dispute, although the claim of “house arrest” remains an allegation by the Queen Mother and has not been independently established.
TheDailyNewsHub will continue to follow developments as Tooro Kingdom seeks to resolve the succession dispute and prepare for King Oyo’s burial.