State Minister for Lands Margaret Muhanga has expressed confidence that Tooro’s King-designate Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I will work to reunite members of the royal family following years of reported divisions within the institution.
Muhanga, who is a cousin of the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, said she believes the incoming King can bring members of the wider royal family together and restore a stronger sense of unity at Karuziika Palace.
She said several descendants of former Tooro kings had started returning to Karuziika following the change in leadership. Muhanga pointed to members of Prince Christopher Paul Kijanangoma’s family among those she said had returned to the palace.
According to Muhanga, previous Tooro royal households accommodated kings’ wives, their children, co-wives and other members of the wider royal family despite the complexities that came with polygamous marriages.
She argued that this was different during King Oyo’s reign, claiming that Karuziika Palace became less welcoming to some members of the wider royal family. Muhanga said some children and grandchildren of former kings had consequently stayed away from the palace.
“The palace had reverted to just one group of people. It was no longer welcoming the children of former kings and their grandchildren,” Muhanga said, according to the report.
Muhanga also said that King Oyo had love for Tooro but claimed that he had been isolated from members of his father’s family during his reign. These remarks are her assessment of the late King’s relationship with his wider paternal family.
The State Minister further raised concerns about the former kingdom administration, alleging that the institution had been commercialised and that controversial land transactions had affected its reputation. These claims were made by Muhanga as she discussed what she believes the new leadership should address.
Muhanga said she had spoken with Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I and expressed confidence that he would focus on bringing different sections of the royal family and the wider Tooro community together.
“This is now the time for Tooro to come together. I am confident that the new king, whom I have spoken with, is going to bring that unity and bring the people together,” she said.
Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I is scheduled to be crowned at Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal City on September 29, 2026. His selection by the Babiito Royal Clan was later endorsed by the Tooro Supreme Council, while the Government has since affirmed that it is processing his formal recognition in the Uganda Gazette.
