Tooro Kingdom has set September 29, 2026, as the date for the coronation of Omukama Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I after the kingdom’s Supreme Council unanimously endorsed him as the successor to the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
The date was confirmed on Tuesday during a sitting of the Supreme Council at Muchwa Kingdom Headquarters in Fort Portal City, where members approved the Babiito Royal Clan’s decision to present Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the next ruler of the kingdom.
The endorsement clears one of the final internal processes before the coronation ceremony, which will take place at Karuziika Royal Palace, the traditional seat of the Tooro monarchy.
Omujwera Musuuga Charles Kamurasi, the head of the Babiito Royal Clan, formally presented Prince Edward before the council, saying the clan’s 21 member succession committee had selected him to inherit the throne following the death of King Oyo.
The Supreme Council subsequently adopted a resolution backing the decision, with members signing their approval for Prince Edward to ascend the throne under the royal name Omukama Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I.
“The Supreme Council has endorsed the decision of the Babiito Royal Clan, and preparations for the coronation will now proceed,” Kamurasi said.
Preparations are already underway for the September 29 ceremony, which is expected to draw cultural leaders, government officials, religious leaders and members of the Babiito Royal Clan to Fort Portal for one of the kingdom’s most significant events in more than three decades.
The coronation follows the death of King Oyo on August 27, 2026, at the age of 34 while undergoing cancer treatment in the United States.
King Oyo was crowned in 1995 at the age of three after the death of his father, Omukama Patrick Matthew David Kaboyo Olimi III, making him the world’s youngest reigning monarch at the time. During his 31 year reign, he became one of Uganda’s most recognised cultural leaders, championing youth empowerment, education, health, HIV and AIDS awareness, environmental conservation and tourism.
Prince Edward, a cousin of the late king, previously worked as a journalist, news anchor and editor at Uganda Broadcasting Corporation before his selection as king elect.
His endorsement by the Supreme Council comes after the Babiito Royal Clan announced him as successor during a royal gathering at Karuziika Palace, a decision the clan says followed established Tooro customs under which it is responsible for identifying the next Omukama.
The succession process, however, continues to face opposition from some members of the royal family.
Queen Mother Best Kemigisa and Princess Ruth Komuntale have argued that King Oyo left behind a will naming his biological son as the rightful heir to the throne. The alleged son has not been publicly identified, and no official confirmation of the purported will has been made public.
The Babiito Royal Clan has rejected those claims, insisting that the succession was conducted in accordance with long standing royal traditions.
Government has also taken interest in the transition, where previously President Yoweri Museveni directed authorities to work with kingdom leaders to ensure the succession is handled peacefully and in line with the law and cultural customs.
