Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma (now, Omukama Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I), a longtime Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC) journalist, has been selected as the successor to the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, placing him at the centre of a succession process that remains contested within the Tooro royal family.
The 56-year-old prince was selected by a 21-member Babiito Royal Clan succession committee on September 9, 2026. His selection was endorsed by the Tooro Kingdom Supreme Council on September 15.
He is expected to reign as Omukama Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I. His coronation has been set for September 29 at Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal. Until that ceremony, he remains king-designate rather than the formally enthroned monarch.
The government has not yet formally recognised him as king, according to reporting by the Daily Monitor, while members of the late King Oyo’s immediate family have challenged the succession process.
Royal family background
Kijanangoma comes from the Babiito royal clan and is a grandson of the late Sir George David Rukidi Kamurasi III, who ruled Tooro for decades before his death in 1965.
He is the son of the late Prince Christopher Paul Kijanangoma and Yusta Asiimwe Kijanangoma Amooti. His father was a member of the royal family and a descendant of King Rukidi III.
Kijanangoma is also a cousin of the late King Oyo. His selection therefore comes from within the wider royal family, rather than from Oyo’s direct line of descent.
The prince is married to Rebecca Donna Amoding, an Itesot and corporate human resources executive. The couple has generally kept their family life private.
From journalism to the throne
Before his selection as Tooro king-designate, Kijanangoma was better known to Ugandans as a television journalist.
He worked at UBC in several editorial and broadcasting roles, including as a reporter, editor, talk-show host and news anchor. He became a familiar face to viewers through the broadcaster’s English-language news bulletins.
His selection has consequently brought a journalist who spent much of his professional life in front of television cameras into one of Uganda’s most prominent traditional institutions. UBC and other Ugandan media outlets reported his selection as the Babiito clan’s choice to succeed Oyo.
Kijanangoma studied at Kinyamasika Primary School before attending St. Leo’s College Kyegobe. He later graduated from Makerere University with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication in 1999.
The succession process
The process began after King Oyo died in the United States on August 27, 2026, aged 34. Oyo had become king in 1995 at the age of three and remained on the throne for more than three decades.
On September 9, the Babiito succession committee announced Kijanangoma as its choice to succeed Oyo.
On September 15, the Tooro Kingdom Supreme Council endorsed the decision during a sitting at Muchwa Kingdom headquarters in Fort Portal City. The resolution gave the clan’s selection formal backing from the kingdom’s representative council.
Later that day, Babiito clan head Charles Kamurasi announced September 29 as the date for Kijanangoma’s coronation at Karuziika Palace. The ceremony is expected to include traditional rituals through which he will be formally installed as Omukama.
Dispute over Oyo’s successor
Kijanangoma’s selection has not been accepted by all members of the royal family.
Princess Ruth Komuntale and Queen Mother Best Kemigisa have opposed the succession decision, with members of Oyo’s immediate family citing a purported 2022 will that they say named a biological son of the late king as his heir.
The identity and status of the alleged son have become central to the dispute. The Babiito clan, however, has maintained that succession should be determined according to Tooro’s traditional customs and the established clan process.
The dispute means Kijanangoma’s path to the throne has been accompanied by disagreement within the royal family. Current reporting also indicates that the government has not formally recognised him as king.
A royal family in mourning
The succession dispute unfolded alongside another loss in the royal family.
Prince David Kijanangoma Araali, Kijanangoma’s elder brother, died on September 15 at the Uganda Cancer Institute in Mulago after a prolonged illness. His death came three days after King Oyo was buried at the Karambi Royal Tombs.
David had been undergoing treatment for cancer, and his family had earlier appealed for financial assistance after treatment in Uganda had depleted their resources. Reports said the family was seeking about Shs700 million for specialised treatment in India.
He was buried at the Karambi Royal Tombs on September 18, where his funeral followed the burial of his cousin, Oyo.
David had also been a prominent and sometimes controversial figure within the Tooro royal family. He gained national attention after challenging King Oyo’s leadership in 2015.
The road to the coronation
With the Supreme Council’s endorsement and the coronation date set, preparations are now underway for Kijanangoma’s formal installation.
The Babiito clan has said the September 29 ceremony at Karuziika Palace will mark the formal beginning of his reign as Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I.
For Kijanangoma, the transition represents a major change from a career spent in journalism and broadcasting to leadership of one of Uganda’s historic traditional kingdoms. But his formal accession remains tied to the completion of the traditional enthronement process and the unresolved dispute surrounding the succession.
