Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has directed journalist and political commentator Andrew Mwenda to stop publicly commenting on affairs surrounding the Tooro Kingdom, as tensions over the succession to the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV continue to dominate public debate.
In a post shared on social media, Muhoozi said he had instructed Mwenda, whom he referred to as a “comrade”, to stop speaking about issues concerning Tooro.
“I have instructed comrade @AndrewMwenda not to speak about the issues of Tooro again. He will stop it immediately,” Muhoozi wrote.
The UPDF chief also used the message to extend condolences to the people of Tooro following the death of King Oyo, who died aged 34 after battling cancer.
“Once again, as PLU we commiserate with the great Batooro people on the tragedy that befell all of us. May the soul of the late King Oyo rest in peace,” Muhoozi added.
The intervention comes against the backdrop of a bitter succession dispute that has emerged following the death of King Oyo on August 27, 2026.
The dispute has centred on competing claims over who should succeed the late monarch. A royal succession committee selected Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a cousin of King Oyo, as successor. The decision, however, was challenged by members of Oyo’s immediate family, including his sister Princess Ruth Komuntale and Queen Mother Best Kemigisa.
They have argued that King Oyo left a 2022 will naming a biological son as his heir. The alleged son had not been publicly identified before the succession dispute erupted, prompting questions about his identity and status.
Reuters reported that King Oyo had never married and was not publicly known to have children, while the alleged existence of a son became central to the succession controversy. The report also noted that the failure to publicly identify the child has contributed to uncertainty surrounding the competing claims.
Mwenda became one of the most prominent voices commenting on the dispute. He publicly discussed the succession process and questioned aspects of the claim surrounding the alleged son. His interventions attracted significant attention because of his known links to the Tooro royal family and his involvement in discussions surrounding the succession.
Reports published earlier in September indicated that Mwenda had also spoken about discussions involving Muhoozi and the royal succession committee. One Ugandan report said Mwenda had claimed that Muhoozi endorsed the committee’s choice and that President Yoweri Museveni supported the decision. Those claims added a political dimension to an already sensitive cultural and customary dispute.
The succession controversy has attracted national and international attention because Tooro is one of Uganda’s traditional kingdoms and the institution retains considerable cultural significance, even though traditional monarchs do not exercise executive political authority under Uganda’s constitutional system.
King Oyo was buried on September 12 following days of mourning. His death ended a reign that began when he ascended the Tooro throne at just three years old in 1995, making him one of the world’s youngest monarchs at the time.
Despite the burial, questions surrounding the succession remain politically and culturally sensitive, with competing positions over the late king’s alleged will, the identity and eligibility of the claimed biological son, and the authority of the traditional institutions involved in selecting a successor.
Muhoozi’s latest directive to Mwenda therefore marks a notable intervention in the public debate, particularly because Mwenda had been among the most vocal commentators on the succession controversy.
For now, Muhoozi’s message is clear: he wants Mwenda to stop publicly discussing Tooro affairs, while calling for respect and mourning for the late King Oyo.
