By Elias Biryabarema
KAMPALA, Sept 12 (Reuters) – The late Ugandan monarch, Oyo Nyimba, who made global headlines in 1995 when he took the throne of the Tooro Kingdom at age 3, was due to be buried on Saturday, as a succession dispute rages within the royal family.
King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV died last month at age 34 in the United States, where he was receiving treatment for cancer.
His coronation three decades ago following the death of his father, King Olimi III, made him the world’s youngest monarch. Images of the toddler king donning a crown and royal robes sparked curiosity and adoration around the world.
Thousands of mourners, some dressed in traditional white tunics and bark cloth, filed past the royal palace this week in the kingdom’s capital, Fort Portal, in western Uganda to pay their respects.
SUCCESSION BATTLE
Uganda is led by an elected head of state but retains several kingdoms that pre-date the British colonial era and are seen as bulwarks of traditional identity and heritage.
Oyo’s death has plunged the kingdom into a bitter succession battle. A committee consisting of members of the royal clan announced on Wednesday it had chosen Oyo’s cousin, Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a news anchor and editor at state broadcaster UBC, as king.
But Oyo’s immediate family said his hitherto unknown son should succeed him, as called for in the late king’s will. Oyo never married and was not known to have any children until the kingdom’s prime minister said he had a son in the August 27 statement announcing his death.
Andrew Mwenda, a prominent Ugandan journalist and relative of the royal family, said on Thursday that Oyo’s family had not been able to produce a photo of the son and had declined to disclose details about the family of the boy’s mother.
The dispute threatened to delay the burial, as the new king must be in place to perform a key ritual during the ceremony. But a source with knowledge of crisis talks said national authorities had successfully pushed through Kijanangoma’s succession.
A government spokesperson could not be reached for comment. The Ugandan military said on Friday it had beefed up security in the area to prevent any trouble.
OYO WILL BE BURIED AMONG ROYAL TOMBS
Oyo himself took the throne after a protracted succession battle that finished in court.
He went on to become a U.N. goodwill ambassador who championed the fight against HIV and AIDS. He also cultivated close ties with former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, whom he named a special adviser to the monarch. Gaddafi donated money towards refurbishment of the royal palace.
“We are sending a revered and loved leader, an icon and we want to make sure the moment, the spectacle and rituals fit his stature,” Vincent Mugume, the kingdom’s spokesperson, told Reuters.
After a funeral service and eulogies at a local cathedral, he will be buried at the site of the royal tombs, close to the palace.
Once the casket has been laid in the grave, the Omusuna, the traditional chief priest charged with burying Tooro’s monarchs, will guide the incoming king in the custom of casting nine coffee berries into the grave.
The 56-year-old Kijanangoma, who maintained a lower profile as the succession battle played out, has been praised by those who know him for his humility.
“Someone you don’t get to find in scandals, someone that is so quiet,” Mary Tumwikirize, a colleague of Kijanangoma’s at UBC, said in a television interview. “It took me a very long time to actually know that he was a prince.”
Besides the throne, the new king will inherit a considerable royal estate including swathes of land and sizeable cash payouts from the central government.
(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing bny Aaron Ross and Alex Richardson)
