Prince Solomon Nyaika and Prince Patrick Mpuuga have publicly challenged the process used to select a new Omukama of Tooro, while accusing individuals involved in the succession dispute of allegedly “hijacking” their father, Omusuuga Charles Karumasi.
The princes say the wishes of the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV should take precedence in determining the kingdom’s next steps, particularly because they claim the late king left a Will outlining his wishes.
Speaking to the press, Prince Nyaika questioned the idea of using a voting process to determine the Tooro king.
“Now King Oyo has a son and has a Will. In the past, all these people were using the Will. So, it is not right, these so-called Babito who are using votes. A king is not voted for, for heaven’s sake, anywhere else in the world,” he said.
Nyaika also questioned the composition and role of the 21-member succession committee, accusing some of its members of having had disagreements with the late king decades ago.
“These are enemies of King Oyo. They’ve been here 31 years ago and now, they’re back,” he alleged, referring to individuals he said were involved in earlier disputes surrounding Oyo’s accession.
The prince further raised questions about how his father, Omusuuga Charles Karumasi, became involved in the current succession dispute.
“We don’t know how Omusuuga came into the mixture. He was hijacked by certain people,” Nyaika claimed, adding that some of those surrounding his father had not been active within the royal establishment in previous years.
He also urged the media to distinguish between members of the royal family and people he said had become involved in the succession process more recently.
Prince Patrick Mpuuga, meanwhile, said he and his brother remain firmly aligned with what they believe were the wishes of the late Omukama Oyo, whom he described as their elder brother and friend.
“What His Majesty Omukama Oyo Nyimba Rukidi IV left behind, he was our eldest brother and friend, and we strongly stand with him because we know he left a Will,” Mpuuga said.
Mpuuga also acknowledged a direct disagreement with his own father over the succession question.
“Secondly, we disagree with our own father, with his position. It’s very surprising that he has taken that turn,” he said.
According to Mpuuga, the late king’s Will should override an earlier Will left by their grandfather, although the details and legal status of the competing documents were not established in the supplied material.
The princes’ statements add another layer to an already contested Tooro succession process. The Babiito royal clan has said Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma was selected through nomination, assessment and detailed vetting by a 21-member committee rather than through a conventional vote.
The succession dispute therefore now involves competing positions over the role of the Babiito committee, the authority of royal wills and the wishes attributed to the late Omukama Oyo.
For the princes, however, the central issue is clear: they believe the late king’s wishes should remain at the heart of the transition.