FORT PORTAL, Uganda, September 29 (Reuters) – A former TV news presenter was crowned king of the Kingdom of Tooro, in Uganda, on Tuesday, becoming the 13th monarch of the Batooro people in a coronation ceremony filled with rituals that ended a succession dispute.
Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma succeeded King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, whose death last month, at 34, from cancer, triggered a dispute, with his mother alleging that a yet-unrevealed son had the right to the throne.
Uganda is a constitutional republic governed by an elected president, but four pre-colonial kingdoms remain as influential symbols of identity and heritage, despite having no political power.
A 21-member committee of the Babiito royal clan chose Kijanangoma, 56, who is a cousin of Oyo Nyimba.
A source familiar with the succession dispute told Reuters that Uganda’s central government imposed this decision despite objections from his mother.
Kijanangoma assumed the new royal name Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I in a traditional ceremony that included the slaughter of a bull and the sprinkling of chicken blood in the Tooro capital, Fort Portal.
Nyabongo I walked to the Karuziika Palace between midnight and 3 a.m., before taking part in a simulated battle for the crown.
“We have the great task of protecting our culture, our traditions and customs, as well as the good conduct among our people,” Nyabongo I said in his accession speech, pledging to mobilize his subjects to protect the environment.
Child King
Oyo Nyimba died in the United States on August 27, while receiving treatment for angiosarcoma, an aggressive form of cancer.
He drew worldwide attention in 1995 when he was enthroned at the age of 3 after his father’s death. Footage of the child king in royal robes and a crown captivated people around the globe.
Former colleagues of Nyabongo I at the state broadcaster UBC, where he worked as a news anchor and editor, describe him as humble and simple.
“Everyone in Fort Portal is happy because of this new king. We are preparing. The women are passing their masukas. The men are passing their kanzus,” said Elizabeth Kengonze, a Tooro resident, on the eve of the event, referring to traditional attire.
The coronation occurred despite objections from Oyo Nyimba’s mother, Best Kemigisa, and his sister, Princess Ruth Komuntale. They say the late king left a young son and a will naming him as heir.
Oyo Nyimba was not married and it was not publicly known that he had children. The kingdom’s prime minister first mentioned the existence of a child in a statement announcing his death.
Kamurasi said the clan had no knowledge of any child and followed Tooro’s customs in choosing a successor.
“The child they claim exists is not known,” he told the press last week.
