The Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Norbert Mao, has called for calm amid a succession dispute in the Tooro Kingdom, saying the installation of a new king cannot be considered complete until the monarch’s name is published in the Uganda Gazette.
Mao says his ministry, together with the Office of the Attorney General, is yet to brief President Yoweri Museveni on the succession dispute following the death of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV. King Oyo died in the United States on August 27, 2026, aged 34, and was buried at the Karambi Royal Tombs in Fort Portal over the weekend.
Dispute over the Kingdom’s throne emerged after the Babiito royal clan announced Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the new King of Tooro on Wednesday last week, to succeed King Oyo. Speaking at a local radio station in Gulu City on Sunday, Mao described the rivalry surrounding the succession as concerning.
Mao emphasized that while the installation of a cultural leader is primarily guided by the traditions of the respective tribe, any dispute arising from the process must be resolved in accordance with the law before the installation can be considered complete.
“Installing a king is solely dependent on the tradition of a specific tribe,” Mao said. “If there is dispute, the law spells it out clearly. If there is rivalry, that rivalry must be completed then your name is published on the gazette.” Mao called on the parties involved in the dispute to endeavour to follow the law.
“Everyone must follow the law. Installation of any king is never complete without the name of the king being published in the Uganda Gazette,” the minister emphasized. “If your name hasn’t been published in the Gazette that you are the King of a specific area, it means you haven’t accomplished the processes of installing a King.”
Mao urged the rival factions in Tooro to avoid exchanges of words, saying the existing legal framework provides a mechanism for resolving disputes over traditional leadership. “So, people should not exchange a lot of words, the most important thing is that we have the law that spells it out clearly,” Mao said.
Mao’s remarks come at a time when questions remain over the succession process following the death of King Oyo, whose reign began in 1995 when he was only three years old. The announcement of Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as his successor has since brought to the fore divisions within the royal establishment after some royal family members rejected the choice-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
