‘Listen to the King’s sister’ - Princess Bagaya backs Komuntale in rejecting new Tooro King

Princess Elizabeth Bagaya, the paternal aunt of the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, has backed the royal family’s rejection of the selection of Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the new King of Tooro.

Princess Bagaya, who appeared alongside Princess Ruth Komuntale at an impromptu press conference on Wednesday, said she supported her niece’s position and asked the public to respect her role as the late king’s sister during the succession dispute.

“I am not well and therefore she (Komuntale) has all my authority and all my support. This is a tragic time but she has my support,” Princess Bagaya said.

“I therefore pray to you; please look at her, first and foremost. Nobody else has the authority over her brother. I thank you for your love and support,” she added.

Earlier , Princess Komuntale said the late king left clear instructions naming his son as the rightful heir to the throne. 

She questioned the decision by the Babiito Royal Clan to proceed with the selection before completing consultations over the will.

Komuntale accused the committee of abandoning the decisions of an earlier Wednesday meeting that was attended by Gen Henry Tumukunde which had resolved to have lawyers involved in the king’s will.

“What happened really took us by surprise we had not ideas it was going to happen

I just want to tell you,as his sister, that that information is incorrect; my brother never left these instructions at all. We want to refute that information,” she said 

Margaret Komubaizi Kajoyo, assistant Batebe of Tooro and an aunt to the late king, also rejected the succession decision, saying the royal family had not approved the announcement of a new king.

She said the family had earlier met with Minister of Gender, Gen Henry Tumukunde, who was sent by President Museveni to engage with them over King Oyo’s will.

“We sat with him and the lawyers of King Oyo read out his will which details all his wishes,” she said.

Kajoyo said the meeting ended at 5pm, with Gen Tumukunde advising the family to bring in more lawyers to review the document before any decision was made.

“Minutes later we heard that the clan was announcing a new King. We don’t hate the new elected king but we ask the people of Tooro to guard this precarious hour. We are in a serious crisis as a royal family,” she said.

She claimed that Omusuuga Charles Kamurasi, the head of the Babiito clan, had earlier informed clan members that no decision on a new king would be made before King Oyo’s burial.

“The real heir exists and he is to be announced,” she added.

The comments come after the Babiito Royal Clan selected Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the successor to King Oyo following the reported decision by Prince George Desmond Kamurasi to decline the throne.