King Oyo of Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom has been buried amid a bitter dispute within the royal family over who should succeed him.
Thousands of mourners gathered in western Uganda on Saturday to pay their final respects to Oyo, who died in the United States last month while receiving treatment for cancer. He was 34 years old, unmarried and had no officially recognised heir.
Although Uganda is a republic, the country recognises traditional kings and other cultural leaders. While they have limited political authority, they remain influential figures who preserve the customs, traditions and identity of their communities.
Following Oyo’s death, a selection committee from the Babiito royal clan announced his cousin, Edward, as the next king. However, the decision has been strongly opposed by Oyo’s sister, creating a dispute that has deepened tensions within the royal household.
Oyo’s sister claims that her brother left a will naming his biological son as his successor. However, officials within the Tooro Kingdom say they were unaware of the existence of such a child.
The disagreement has raised questions about who has the legitimate right to inherit the throne and whether a child whose identity and parentage have not been formally established can become king.
Andrew Mwenda, a prominent Ugandan figure from Tooro, criticised the claim that Oyo had left a son without an officially recognised marriage. He argued that if the late king had a biological son, the Tooro Kingdom would need to establish the child’s identity and learn more about his mother and her background.
Mwenda stressed that his comments were not an accusation that Oyo had fathered a child under such circumstances, but rather an argument for greater clarity before the succession is confirmed.
The dispute has also involved Oyo’s mother, Queen Mother Best Kemigisa, who says she and other members of the royal family have been prevented from freely leaving the palace or receiving visitors.
In a statement released on Thursday, Kemigisa said troops had removed the royal guards without notice and deployed personnel around the palace.
“We cannot leave or receive people freely. We are under house arrest,” she said.
The allegations have added another layer of tension to the succession dispute, with members of the royal family divided over the future leadership of the Tooro Kingdom.
Oyo became king as a child and remained one of Uganda’s most prominent traditional leaders throughout his reign. His death at the age of 34 has therefore created both an emotional moment for his subjects and an uncertain future for the kingdom.
The dispute over his successor is expected to remain a major issue as the royal family and traditional authorities seek to determine who should eventually occupy the Tooro throne.
