Key facts
- King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of Uganda's Tooro kingdom has been buried.
- Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a news anchor, was chosen as the successor by a royal clan committee.
- The late king's immediate family claimed his son should inherit the throne.
- Ugandan authorities reportedly supported Kijanangoma's succession.
- King Oyo, who ascended the throne at age three, died at 34 after cancer treatment.
- The burial took place 31 years to the day after Oyo's coronation.
King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, once the world's youngest monarch, was buried on Saturday at the Karambi Royal Tombs in Uganda's Tooro kingdom, marking the end of his reign and the beginning of a new one amid a contentious succession battle. The burial occurred 31 years to the day after Oyo's own coronation.
Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a news anchor and editor at state broadcaster UBC, was formally chosen as the new king by a committee of the royal clan. He cast nine coffee berries into the grave, a traditional gesture signifying the handover of power. However, the late king's immediate family contested this, asserting that his previously unknown son should inherit the throne as stipulated in his will. Oyo, who died last month at 34 in the United States after battling cancer, never married and was not publicly known to have children until after his death.
Supporters of Kijanangoma's claim have questioned the validity of the purported son's existence, while Ugandan authorities reportedly intervened to push through Kijanangoma's succession on Friday. The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, urged mourners to seek unity and avoid actions that could divide the kingdom or tarnish the late king's legacy. King Oyo himself ascended the throne at the age of three following a protracted succession dispute that concluded in court. In addition to his ceremonial duties and advocacy against HIV and Aids, Oyo had cultivated ties with former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who was named a special adviser and provided funds for the royal palace's refurbishment. Kijanangoma, 56, has been described by Ugandan journalists as quiet and humble.