Tooro sets coronation date for new king

• Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I will be crowned on September 29, 2026.

• The ceremony will take place at Karuziika Royal Palace in Fort Portal.

• The Tooro Supreme Council approved him as king-designate.

• Some royal family members still claim King Oyo left a son to succeed him.

The Babiito royal clan has set September 29, 2026, for the coronation of Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I as the new Omukama of Tooro.

Babiito clan head Charles Kayondo Kamurasi announced the date after talks with clan elders and the Tooro Supreme Council, known as the Orukurato rw’Obukama bwa Tooro.

The ceremony will take place at Karuziika Royal Palace in Fort Portal City. It will include traditional coronation rites and a public enthronement.

Cultural leaders, government officials and subjects from across Tooro are expected to attend.

The coronation will complete the clan-led process to install the 56-year-old monarch. He was known as Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma before his selection and will become Tooro’s 13th king.

The Orukurato met in Fort Portal and received formal notice of his selection from the Babiito clan. It then approved him as king-designate and asked Kamurasi and other clan leaders to organise the coronation rites under Tooro customs.

Edward succeeds his cousin, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV. King Oyo died in the United States on August 27, 2026. He was buried at Karambi Royal Tombs on September 12, 2026.

A 21-member Babiito succession committee selected Edward after its first choice, George Desmond Kamurasi, declined the throne.

However, the transition has faced opposition from members of the royal family. They argue that King Oyo left a will naming a son as his heir.

The dispute has raised questions about whether the September 29 coronation will proceed without a legal challenge.

The kingdom administration is expected to announce the programme for the customary rites. It will also issue security guidelines and accreditation details for guests.