As the Tooro Kingdom ushered in its 15th Omukama, one question continued to intrigue many Batooro and Ugandans: Why did the new king choose the name Nyabongo I? Prince Edward Rukidi Kiijanangoma did not ascend the throne as Kiijanangoma. Instead, following the decision of the Babiito Clan Succession Committee and the endorsement of the Tooro Kingdom Supreme Council, he has taken the throne as Omukama Nyabongo I.
The name is not random. It reaches deep into the shared history of Tooro and Bunyoro and, according to historian and journalist Wilson Akiiki Kaija, reflects the historical relationship between the two kingdoms as well as circumstances surrounding the current Tooro succession. According to Kaija, the story begins with the relationship between Tooro and Bunyoro. Tooro emerged from Bunyoro in the early 19th century after Crown Prince Kaboyo Olimi Kasunsunkwanzi rebelled against his father, Omukama Nyamutukura Kyebambe III.
Kaboyo had been expected to succeed his father as ruler of Bunyoro. Following his rebellion, however, he established a separate kingdom that became known as Tooro. This history created a close connection between the royal houses of Tooro and Bunyoro. Kaija explains that the two ruling houses are essentially branches of the same royal family, making the names adopted by their kings part of a broader historical tradition. Kaboyo became the first king of the newly established Tooro Kingdom.
His father, however, continued to hope that Kaboyo would eventually return to Bunyoro and take over the throne. Kaboyo refused. His father then selected another son, Mugenyi, as his successor. Omukama Nyabongo II Mugenyi, also known as Biranga of Mwenge, became the 20th King, or Omukama, of the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom. He belonged to the historical Babiito dynasty and ruled from 1835 to 1848.
When Mugenyi eventually became king of Bunyoro, he adopted the throne name Nyabongo II. The numeral II was significant because an earlier Bunyoro ruler had also been known as Nyabongo. Kaija says Tooro’s succession elders looked back at this history when considering a throne name for Prince Edward Rukidi Kiijanangoma. One of the parallels, he explains, concerns the age at which Mugenyi became king.
Mugenyi inherited the Bunyoro throne as a mature man after his father had ruled for many years. Prince Edward Kiijanangoma also became king at the age of 56. According to Kaija, the succession committee saw a historical similarity between the circumstances in which Mugenyi and Kiijanangoma assumed the throne.
Age, however, was not the only connection. Kaija says Mugenyi was remembered for qualities such as humility and obedience, qualities that the elders also associated with Kiijanangoma. There was another parallel. In Bunyoro, Mugenyi became king after his brother Kaboyo rejected the opportunity to succeed their father and instead established Tooro.
In the latest Tooro succession process, the committee initially considered another candidate, George Desmond Kamurasi. Kamurasi reportedly declined the offer for personal reasons, after which Kiijanangoma emerged as the alternative candidate. For the elders involved in the selection, the circumstances echoed the history surrounding Mugenyi and Nyabongo II.
A Name Chosen, Not Simply Inherited
The decision to call the new king Nyabongo I therefore carries both historical and symbolic meaning. Fr. Dr. Charles Oyo, Secretary of the Babiito Clan Succession Committee, says the selection process was not simply about identifying a member of the royal family.
The 21-member committee, constituted following the death of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV in August, spent weeks assessing potential candidates. Three candidates were shortlisted and assessed against five broad areas: social, cultural, economic, political, and cognitive qualities.
Socially, the committee considered a candidate’s roots in Tooro, character, reputation, and public trust. Culturally, it considered knowledge of Tooro customs and traditions. Economically, candidates were expected to be self-sufficient and responsible. Politically, the committee considered whether a potential king could work with the clan and the wider kingdom.The committee also considered education and, importantly, whether the candidate was teachable. On September 9, at Karuziika Palace, Omujwera Musuuga Charles Kayondo Kamurasi announced Prince Edward Rukidi Kiijanangoma as the selected successor.
The 56-year-old prince is a cousin of the late King Oyo and has worked as a journalist, news anchor, and editor at Uganda Broadcasting Corporation. The committee says he did not use his media career to campaign for the throne.
From Kiijanangoma to Nyabongo I
The transition from Prince Edward Rukidi Kiijanangoma to Omukama Nyabongo I is therefore more than a change of name. The succession account presents the throne name as a link through which the new king enters the history of Tooro. On September 12, during the burial of King Oyo at the Karambi Royal Tombs, Kiijanangoma performed the Iziba rite, involving the casting of nine coffee berries into the grave of his predecessor.The ceremony symbolised the physical handover of power. On September 15, the Tooro Kingdom Supreme Council unanimously endorsed him, further institutionalising the succession decision.
A King Inheriting a Kingdom in Transition
The new Omukama inherits more than a palace, a royal title and historical responsibilities. He takes over a kingdom that has experienced debate and competing positions during the succession process. His immediate task will include building reconciliation within the royal family and the wider Babiito clan.
He will also face the broader challenge of preserving Tooro’s cultural identity while connecting it to a younger generation and Batooro living outside Uganda. Economically, the monarchy faces expectations that cultural heritage can contribute to tourism, livelihoods and opportunities for ordinary people.
The king will also be expected to work with the kingdom’s institutions, clans and the Ugandan state while maintaining Tooro’s cultural identity. Beyond Uganda, the monarchy will have to communicate a new image of Tooro to the diaspora and the wider world.
For a man who spent much of his professional life behind a newsroom desk telling the stories of others, the symbolism of September 29 is striking. He now becomes the subject of one of Tooro’s most important stories.
Why “Nyabongo I”?
Ultimately, the explanation for the name Nyabongo I rests on three interconnected ideas: the historical relationship between Tooro and Bunyoro; the circumstances under which Mugenyi became Nyabongo II in Bunyoro; and the qualities that Tooro’s succession elders say they saw in Prince Edward Rukidi Kiijanangoma. His choice also opens a new chapter in a royal naming tradition that has evolved alongside the history of Tooro.
The meaning of a throne name, however, is not determined entirely on coronation day. Its significance will ultimately be shaped by the reign itself. Prince Edward Rukidi Kiijanangoma has now taken on the mantle of Omukama Nyabongo I. The history helps explain why he carries the name. His reign will determine what that name eventually comes to mean-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
