Tooro Queen Mother Best Kemigisa has revealed that the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV’s child remained in Texas after the royal family became concerned that bringing him to Uganda could expose him to the dispute over his father’s successor.
Kemigisa said the family had initially planned for the child to return to Uganda with them after Oyo died in the United States on August 27.
The decision changed as the succession dispute intensified.
“Before leaving Texas, our family had hoped that King Oyo’s child would return on the same plane with us,” Kemigisa said.
“However, as events unfolded in Tooro, concerns grew about bringing a child into a tense and polarised succession dispute. Ultimately, the child did not return with us.”
She said the decision had been painful but was made out of concern for the child.
“This has left me deeply saddened. Whatever disagreements existed, no child should ever be placed in circumstances where returning to his father’s homeland could mean being drawn into hostility and conflict.”
Kemigisa made the remarks in a five-page Statement of Appreciation released on Tuesday, September 22, 10 days after Oyo was buried at the Karambi Royal Tombs in Fort Portal.
The statement offers her account of the events that followed the king’s death and sets out how she intends to continue his work through a proposed memorial foundation.
Succession dispute
Oyo, who became king at the age of three in 1995, died aged 34 while receiving cancer treatment in the United States. He was buried on September 12, with Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma assuming the role of Tooro king during the burial rites after being selected by the Babiito royal clan.
The selection was disputed by Oyo’s immediate family, which said the late king had left a will naming his son as heir.
The child’s existence had not been publicly known before Oyo’s death. The Tooro Kingdom’s prime minister announced after the king’s death that Oyo had left a son, but details about the child, including his identity and whereabouts, were not publicly disclosed at the time.
Kemigisa’s statement now confirms that the child is in Texas.
She said the family had hoped the succession question would be addressed after Oyo’s burial, rather than during the mourning period.
According to Kemigisa, succession discussions began only hours after her son’s death. She said the developments continued while the family was preparing to bring his body home.
The dispute later reached Karuziika Palace, where Oyo’s body lay before the burial.
Kemigisa said she was particularly hurt by events surrounding the final send-off, including what she described as celebrations taking place close to where her son’s body lay.
“Loud celebrations took place only metres from where my son’s body lay,” she said. “As a mother, that was extraordinarily painful.”
The burial itself was delayed as disagreements within the royal establishment continued. Kijanangoma eventually performed the traditional ritual at the Karambi Royal Tombs that formally marked the transfer of power.
The succession remains disputed, with Oyo’s family maintaining that his wishes should be respected and the Babiito establishment backing Kijanangoma. The competing positions have also raised questions about how the late king’s will should be reconciled with Tooro’s traditional succession process.
Kemigisa pledges continued service
Despite the dispute, Kemigisa said she did not want anger to shape what comes next.
“Today, I do not want anger to have the final word. I want gratitude, faith, hope, and service to have the final word,” she said.
She also pledged to continue serving Tooro and Uganda following the death of her only son.
“I will never stop serving Tooro. I will never stop serving Uganda.”
Kemigisa said she would work with her daughter, Princess Ruth Nsemere Komuntale, to preserve Oyo’s legacy.
“It will live through his mother and his sister Princess Komuntale. It will live through his child and the generations that come after us,” she said.
Foundation to carry on Oyo’s projects
The Queen Mother said the King Oyo Memorial Foundation would be used to turn the late king’s legacy into programmes in health, education, agriculture, sport and tourism.
Among the proposed projects are the King Oyo Tooro Museum, an international stadium, a research and teaching hospital and an expanded model farm at Bugaaki in Kyenjojo District.
The museum is intended to preserve Oyo’s personal belongings and material connected to Tooro’s history and culture.
Kemigisa said the proposed stadium would be developed on land she said Oyo had donated to the government for sports development.
The proposed hospital would focus on treatment, medical training and research, including cancer and HIV research. The Bugaaki farm would be developed as a centre for agricultural education, innovation and community outreach.
Kemigisa said the projects should serve communities rather than simply carry the late king’s name.
“These projects are not simply monuments bearing King Oyo’s name. They are his legacy put to work for the people,” she said.
For Kemigisa, the foundation is also part of how the family intends to move forward after Oyo’s death while the question of his succession remains unsettled.
