What we know about Tooro’s next king George Kamurasi: from teenage delinquent to football success

George Desmond Kamurasi’s reported selection as the next king of Tooro has thrust into the spotlight a man who has spent much of his life away from Uganda and outside the public glare.

Through social media and accounts from close associates, more information is emerging that behind the relatively unfamiliar name is a story of royal blood, personal setbacks and a long passion for football.

Kamurasi, 36, was selected by Tooro Kingdom’s Royal Succession Committee to succeed his late cousin, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, according to journalist Andrew Mwenda.

Mwenda said the 21-member committee met at Fort Motel in Fort Portal City on September 4, 2026. Eighteen members attended and 15 voted for Kamurasi.

A formal announcement by the Omusuuga, the head of the Babiito royal clan, is expected after King Oyo’s burial in line with Tooro custom.

For many Ugandans, however, Kamurasi remains a largely unknown figure.

He has spent much of his life in Britain, where football became a defining part of his story.

Videos from his coaching work portray an intense and motivational figure who speaks openly about discipline, responsibility and the need to recover from failure.

Kamurasi has also publicly discussed a difficult adolescence.

He said his mother died when he was 14, leaving him angry and vulnerable to bad influences.

“I was angry. I made the wrong decisions. I got into the wrong circle and ended up in jail,” he said in one video.

He recalled sitting in a cell and accepting responsibility for his actions rather than blaming others.

“I was in that cell when I realised that everything I had done was my fault. I took responsibility,” he said.

Football then became his route to rebuilding his life.

After leaving jail, Kamurasi said he committed himself to the sport, chased opportunities and began achieving results that once appeared beyond his reach.

“I came out; went into football and put myself out there. I chased it and won things. I got scouted by the Nike Academy, ended up playing in Barcelona with Pep Guardiola watching me. Things that were not possible. I wanted it more than anything else,” he said

His football journey later included lower-league and grassroots football in England. He has been associated with clubs including Ashford United and has worked as a goalkeeper and sports coach.

UK company records also list him as British, resident in England, with his occupation given as sports coach.

His coaching videos suggest that his experiences as a troubled teenager shaped the message he now gives young players.

He often stresses hard work, accountability and refusing to allow mistakes to define a person’s future.

Outside of football, Kamurasi is reported to be recently married to a British woman, only identified so far as Abbey and they already share a son.

Royal roots

Kamurasi is the son of Prince George Desmond “Jimmy” Mugenyi, a younger brother of King Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi, King Oyo’s father.

That makes Kamurasi a first cousin of the late King Oyo.

He is also a grandson of King George David Matthew Kamurasi Rukidi III, who ruled Tooro between 1928 and 1965.

According to Mwenda, Jimmy Mugenyi had been placed second in the line of succession to his brother under Rukidi III’s will.

That lineage became particularly important following Oyo’s death.

King Oyo died in the United States in August while undergoing treatment. He was 34.

His death triggered uncertainty over who would succeed him.

Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki initially said Oyo had left a young prince who would be introduced according to tradition. President Yoweri Museveni also referred to information from Queen Mother Best Kemigisa about a young boy who was said to be the heir.

But Omusuuga Charles Kamurasi and other Babiito elders later said they knew of no biological child of the late king.

The clan consequently turned to the wider royal lineage to identify a successor.

The Royal Succession Committee was constituted soon after Oyo's death to guide that process.

Mwenda says Kamurasi eventually secured overwhelming support within the committee.

He also said Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba and President Museveni backed the committee’s choice as consistent with Tooro customs and succession precedent.

If formally proclaimed and installed, Kamurasi would enter Karuziika Palace with a markedly different personal history from his predecessor.

Oyo became king at three years old and spent almost his entire life carrying the obligations and visibility of the throne.

Kamurasi, by contrast, has spent much of his adulthood in Britain, playing and coaching football and building a life largely outside Uganda's royal spotlight.

If the succession committee's decision is formally confirmed, the qualities he has spent years preaching on the football pitch: discipline, resilience, accountability and hunger for success — will soon be tested on a much bigger stage.