FORT PORTAL — George Desmond Kamurasi has been selected by the Tooro Kingdom Royal Succession Committee as the proposed successor to the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, paving the way for a new monarch in the kingdom.
Kamurasi, 36, was selected on Friday, September 4, following deliberations by the 21-member committee constituted by the Babiito royal clan to identify a successor to the late king.
According to reports by journalist Andrew Mwenda, 18 members of the committee attended Friday’s meeting held in Fort Portal City, with 15 voting in favour of Kamurasi.
The selection, however, has not yet been formally announced by the Babiito royal clan. The final declaration is expected to be made by the Omusuuga, the head of the Babiito royal clan, in accordance with Tooro customs and traditions.
Kamurasi is a member of the Babiito royal family and the son of Prince George Desmond “Jimmy” Mugenyi, a younger brother of the late King Oyo’s father, King Patrick David Mathew Kaboyo Olimi III. This makes Kamurasi a first cousin of the late monarch.
Succession process
The development comes less than two weeks after the death of King Oyo, who passed away in the United States on August 26, 2026, while undergoing treatment.
Following his death, the Babiito royal clan established a 21-member committee to oversee the succession process and identify a suitable successor to the throne.
The committee was constituted on August 28 and announced the following day. Its mandate included identifying the successor and presenting the chosen candidate to the other clans of Tooro before the formal cultural process of succession.
Omusuuga Charles Kamurasi, the head of the Babiito royal clan, has been at the centre of the funeral and succession arrangements. Daily Monitor reported earlier that the Omusuuga’s position places him at the centre of the traditional rites surrounding the death, burial and succession of the Tooro monarch.
The committee has reportedly been meeting since the beginning of this week as it considered the succession question.
Formal announcement awaits
Although the committee has reportedly endorsed Kamurasi, the process is not yet complete.
Mr Mwenda said the committee’s decision would be followed by a formal announcement by the Omusuuga to the Babiito clan leaders.
He also said the decision was made public before the formal announcement to prevent misinformation and speculation on social media from creating confusion about the identity of the next monarch.
The development comes against the backdrop of uncertainty that followed King Oyo’s death, particularly over claims concerning a possible heir.
Shortly after the king’s death, Tooro Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire said the late monarch had left behind a prince who would inherit the throne.
However, the Babiito royal clan said it needed to establish the facts surrounding succession through the traditional process. The clan subsequently formed the 21-member committee to handle the matter.
King Oyo returns home
Kamurasi’s selection was reported on the same day that the remains of King Oyo returned to Uganda for burial.
President Yoweri Museveni received the late king’s body at Entebbe International Airport on Friday before it was transported to Tooro for the official mourning period.
The reception brought together members of the Tooro Royal Family, kingdom officials, government ministers and religious leaders. President Museveni paid tribute to the late monarch and laid a wreath at the casket.
The casket was later flown to Kyegegwa before being transported by road towards Fort Portal, with mourners expected to line the route to pay their final respects.
The body is expected to lie in state at Karuziika Palace, where members of the public will be allowed to pay their respects during the mourning period.
Burial set for September 12
King Oyo will be buried at the Karambi Royal Tombs on September 12, according to the government and Tooro Kingdom funeral programme.
The burial date coincides with what would have been the 31st anniversary of his coronation. A funeral service is scheduled to take place at St John’s Cathedral in Fort Portal before the body is taken to Karambi for the traditional burial rites.
The government has taken charge of the state-supported funeral arrangements, with State House meeting major expenses related to the repatriation of the remains and other burial preparations.
From child monarch to a kingdom in transition
King Oyo ascended the Tooro throne in 1995 at the age of three following the death of his father, King Patrick David Mathew Kaboyo Olimi III.
His accession attracted international attention, with Oyo becoming widely recognised as the world’s youngest reigning monarch at the time.
He went on to reign for more than three decades, becoming an important cultural figure in Uganda and beyond.
His death at the age of 34 has therefore created a major transition for the Tooro Kingdom, with the traditional leadership now preparing for the installation of a new monarch.
If the Babiito clan formally confirms the committee’s decision, George Desmond Kamurasi will take over the throne after the conclusion of the prescribed cultural succession rites.
For now, however, the kingdom remains in mourning for King Oyo, while preparations continue for his burial and the final stages of the succession process.