The succession debate in the Tooro Kingdom has taken a new turn after Chief Prince Charles Kamurasi Akiiki, head of the Babiito royal clan, disputed reports that the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV left behind a biological child who could inherit the throne.
Kamurasi said the royal family had no knowledge of such a child, contradicting earlier statements from Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki and President Yoweri Museveni, who indicated that the late monarch had left behind a prince who would eventually succeed him.
“The King had no child. I don’t know about it because we have never been told that,” Kamurasi was quoted as saying. His remarks have injected fresh uncertainty into the succession process at a time when the kingdom is mourning the death of King Oyo, who died on August 27, 2026, aged 34.
King Oyo, whose full name was Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, ascended the Tooro throne in 1995 at the age of three following the death of his father, Rukirabasaija Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III. His accession made him internationally known as the world’s youngest reigning monarch. He later assumed full responsibilities as king after reaching adulthood.
Following his death, Tooro Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki announced that the monarch had left behind a prince who would be unveiled according to traditional procedures. The announcement was subsequently echoed in reports about the future of the monarchy, creating an expectation that the succession process would involve the late king’s reported son.
However, Kamurasi’s latest position appears to challenge that narrative. As head of the Babiito, the royal clan responsible for matters of royal lineage and succession, he has indicated that the clan was not aware of any biological child belonging to King Oyo.
The disagreement is significant because the Tooro Kingdom has placed the succession process under the authority of the Babiito royal clan. Following a meeting at Karuziika Palace, a 21-member committee was established to identify and select a successor to King Oyo. The committee is chaired by Kamurasi and is expected to present its choice to other clans in the kingdom.
The royal clan has reportedly indicated that, if no verified biological heir of King Oyo is established, attention could return to the wider Rukidi royal lineage in determining the next monarch.
The conflicting statements have therefore placed the question of King Oyo’s successor at the centre of public attention. While government and kingdom officials have previously suggested that a prince exists, the Babiito leadership says the royal family has no knowledge of such a child.
For now, the succession question remains unresolved, with the Babiito clan expected to play a central role in determining the next chapter of Tooro’s monarchy through its established cultural procedures.
