Uganda’s King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, once the world’s youngest reigning monarch, was buried on Saturday after a dispute over who would succeed him.
The 34‑year‑old monarch of the traditional kingdom of Tooro in western Uganda died last month following cancer treatment in the United States. Tooro is one of Uganda’s restored kingdoms, with its monarchs serving as cultural leaders rather than political rulers.
At the funeral, thousands of mourners lined the streets as the king’s casket was carried to the royal tombs in Fort Portal for a private ceremony. After the body passed, a TV news presenter, Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, cast nine coffee beans into the grave—a ritual that signifies the end of one reign and the beginning of another.
However, Oyo’s family had previously rejected Kijanangoma as the new king. The late monarch’s sister, Princess Ruth Komuntale, said he had left a will in 2022 naming his son as heir. The boy’s identity has never been disclosed, while his mother, Queen Best Kemigisa, described the royal family’s movements as a form of “house arrest” after royal guards were removed and soldiers were deployed.
In a call for peace, the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Stephen Kazimba Mugalu, urged mourners to avoid words that could “cause pain, division and conflict” and to preserve the king’s legacy. President Yoweri Museveni echoed this message, saying the matter should be resolved “and to favour unity over division.”
The clan overseeing the succession defended its choice of Kijanangoma, stating that they had followed cultural traditions and that all parties must preserve “peace and serenity.”
