The succession of the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV has taken another dramatic turn after Omusuuga Charles Akiiki Kamurasi told the Tooro Orukurato (Parliament or Supreme Council) that the keys to the royal palace are missing, as the kingdom’s legislative body moved to recognise Prince Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I as the new Omukama of Tooro.
The development adds a new layer to a succession dispute that has increasingly drawn in members of the royal family, kingdom officials and political figures following the death of King Oyo.
Addressing the Orukurato on Tuesday, Omusuuga Kamurasi said the whereabouts of the palace keys had become an issue in the transition of the institution, while maintaining that Tooro already has a new king.
Kamurasi, who chaired the Royal Succession Committee that had earlier been tasked with handling the succession process, insisted that the kingdom would proceed in accordance with both Tooro customs and Ugandan law despite legal challenges surrounding the process.
The Supreme Council has now recognised Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I as Oyo’s successor, saying his selection complies with the cultural norms and traditions governing the Tooro Kingdom.
The recognition comes only weeks after Oyo’s death, which triggered an increasingly bitter contest over who should occupy the throne.
Oyo, who became Omukama at the age of three following the death of his father, Omukama Patrick Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III, had reigned for more than three decades before his death in August 2026 after a battle with cancer.
His death immediately revived questions over the succession, including whether he had left a legitimate heir and who had the authority to identify his successor.
The Royal Succession Committee, chaired by Kamurasi, had earlier selected George Desmond Kamurasi, a cousin of the late king, as the next Omukama during a meeting held at Fort Motel in Fort Portal.
That decision, however, was challenged by senior members of the kingdom and the royal family.
Omusuuga Kamurasi subsequently faced criticism after some members of the royal family questioned whether the committee had completed the required process and whether a successor could be announced before Oyo’s burial.
The dispute intensified after Princess Ruth Komuntale, Oyo’s sister, publicly rejected the selection process that produced a successor, saying the committee had not conclusively settled the matter.
Komuntale has also maintained that Oyo left a legitimate heir, raising questions over whether the late king’s son should have been considered in the succession process.
The controversy has also involved Princess Elizabeth Bagaya and other members of the royal family, while Tooro Prime Minister Omuhikirwa Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki has repeatedly called for restraint and warned against outside interference in the selection of a new king.
The latest recognition of Edward Kijanangoma therefore represents a significant departure from the earlier announcement involving Desmond Kamurasi.
Edward Kijanangoma, a member of the Tooro royal family, emerged as the new name in the succession contest after the burial of Oyo.
His recognition by the Supreme Council or Orukurato now places the kingdom at a critical point, particularly as disagreements over the legality and legitimacy of the succession process remain unresolved.
The question of the palace keys adds another symbolic dimension to the dispute.
Kamurasi’s statement before the Orukurato suggests that control and access to Karuziika Palace — the traditional seat of the Omukama — have become part of the wider transition battle.
The palace has remained central to the Tooro monarchy since Oyo’s accession, and any transfer of its authority carries significance beyond the physical handover of a residence.
The succession dispute has also unfolded against the backdrop of growing public interest in Oyo’s reported will.
A document dated September 14, 2022 and associated with the late king has become central to arguments over succession, with questions raised over the people he identified as heirs and the implications of his wishes for the future of the monarchy.
At the same time, the kingdom has been under pressure to resolve the succession question without further fracturing the royal family.
Kamurasi has maintained that the process must be guided by Tooro’s established traditions and Uganda’s legal framework.
With the Supreme Council now recognising Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I, the next challenge will be whether the decision is accepted by all sections of the royal family and whether outstanding legal challenges alter the course of the succession.
For now, however, the most immediate question raised inside the palace is remarkably simple: where are the keys?
The answer could become an important part of the practical transfer of power as Tooro attempts to move from the mourning of Oyo’s death to the installation of his successor.
Meanwhile, Muhoozi Kainerugaba has approved the selection of Edward Kijanangoma as New Omukama of Tooro, even as the Culture Minister is expected to gazettee the new king. (See Details Here and There).
