Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister (Omuhikirwa) Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire has appealed to the Government of Uganda to provide guidance and support as the kingdom faces growing disagreements over the succession of the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
Rwomiire said government intervention is needed to help maintain peace and order and ensure a credible process as rival positions emerge over who should succeed the late Omukama, whose burial has not yet taken place.
The appeal follows an announcement by a section of the Babiito, the royal clan, naming Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the new King. The family of the late King Oyo, however, has pointed to a Will reportedly left by the late Omukama outlining his wishes regarding succession.
In an appeal to the people of Tooro, cultural leaders and the Government, Rwomiire urged all sides to exercise restraint and allow the kingdom to first mourn and bury its King.
“Let us first bury our King,” Rwomiire said, warning that the succession dispute should not overshadow the dignity of the late Omukama’s final journey.
He said the succession question can be addressed after the burial through a calm and credible process that takes into account Tooro customs, the law and the institutions mandated to handle the matter.
“There will be time to examine the Will, to hear those advancing a different position, and to consider our customs, the applicable law and the proper institutions through which succession should be determined,” he said.
Rwomiire specifically called on the Government of Uganda to help maintain peace and order during the sensitive period, stressing that his appeal was not for the government to select Tooro’s next King.
“I also respectfully appeal to the Government of Uganda to provide appropriate guidance and support to ensure that peace, order and sanity prevail during this sensitive period,” he said.
“This is not a request for Government to choose a King for Tooro. It is an appeal to help protect the conditions within which the relevant cultural, legal and institutional processes can take place peacefully, fairly and without intimidation or disorder,” he added.
The Prime Minister also proposed involving respected elders, cultural leaders and other credible persons to help guide the kingdom through the succession dispute.
He urged the rival camps to lower the political and cultural temperature, saying disagreements should not be allowed to undermine the unity of the people of Tooro.
“My appeal is simple: lower the temperature,” Rwomiire said. “We can disagree without destroying one another. We can defend our positions without insensitive language. We can seek the truth without abandoning our culture, dignity and humanity.”
He further urged the people of Tooro to prioritise the burial of King Oyo and allow the succession question to be handled with dignity after the mourning period.
“Let it record that, in a moment of grief and disagreement, the people of Tooro chose restraint, our leaders chose wisdom over confrontation, and we gave His Majesty the dignity of resting in peace before turning to the future of his Crown,” he said.
Rwomiire concluded by urging all sides to put the interests of Tooro above individual positions.
“For now, let us mourn together. Let us bury our King with honour. Then, with dignity, fairness and respect, let the truth and the proper process guide what comes next. In whatever we do, Tooro must come first,” he said.
