Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma Nyabongo I took part in traditional burial rituals at the Karambi Royal Tombs on Saturday as Tooro Kingdom laid the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV to rest.
The rituals formed part of the traditional proceedings at the royal tombs in Fort Portal City, following days of mourning for the late monarch.
One of the key moments came when Kijanangoma cast nine coffee berries into King Oyo’s grave, a traditional act that marked his participation in the burial proceedings.
The ritual followed his presentation by the Babiito royal clan leadership as the person selected to succeed the late king.
Earlier, during the funeral service at St John’s Cathedral, Omujwera Musuuga Charles Kayondo Kamurasi, head of the Babiito royal clan, announced Kijanangoma as the new King of Tooro.
“I wish to inform Tooro and Uganda at large that Tooro has a new king. The council of the Babiito sat and elected Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I,” Mr Kamurasi told mourners.
He called for unity among the people of Tooro and urged them to preserve the kingdom’s cultural heritage during the transition.
Oyo laid to rest
King Oyo, who died in the United States on August 27 at the age of 34, was buried at the historic Karambi Royal Tombs following a funeral attended by members of the royal family, Babiito clan leaders, government officials, cultural leaders and mourners.
The burial brought to an end days of mourning following the death of the monarch, who ascended the Tooro throne as a child and became one of Uganda’s most prominent cultural leaders.
During the funeral service, Queen Mother Best Kemigisa and Princess Ruth Komuntale paid tribute to Oyo’s life and legacy and called for unity within the kingdom.
Mr Kamurasi also acknowledged the Queen Mother’s role in caring for the late King during his illness.
“We thank you for loving and being by his bedside during sickness,” he said.
He also reflected on his longstanding relationship with the royal family, recalling a conversation with Oyo’s father, the late Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III.
Mr Kamurasi said Oyo’s father had encouraged him to become a leader who would help guide his children, including the young king.
The traditional proceedings at Karambi have now ushered Tooro into a new phase following the death of King Oyo, with attention expected to shift towards the next steps in the kingdom’s succession and the formal enthronement of Kijanangoma.
For Tooro, the burial combined mourning for a long-serving monarch with the preservation of cultural traditions and the beginning of a new chapter for the kingdom.