Uganda's King Oyo Rukidi IV buried as news anchor Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma named successor

Royal guards escorted the casket of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV through the streets of Fort Portal on Saturday, culminating in his interment among the ancestral tombs at Karambi Royal Tombs in western Uganda. The burial follows a protracted dispute over the monarch’s successor, a conflict that had divided the Tooro kingdom after the world’s youngest reigning king passed away. The ceremony marked the end of a succession battle that had drawn public attention and internal deliberations within the royal council.

The appointed heir, news anchor Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, formally assumed the throne by casting nine coffee berries into the king’s grave, a traditional gesture signifying the transfer of authority. The act, witnessed by dignitaries and community members, signaled the official handover of power and the kingdom’s intention to move beyond the recent controversy. With the rites completed, Tooro officials expressed hope that the new leadership will restore stability and uphold the cultural heritage of the royal lineage.