Andrew Mwenda has responded to Queen Mother Best Kemigisa Olimi’s criticism of the Tooro succession process, offering his account of how a new king was selected following the death of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
Kemigisa had accused Mwenda of announcing a new king selected by what she described as a self-appointed group, while insisting that the late king’s Will should be respected.
Mwenda disputes that characterization.
According to the Ugandan journalist and media entrepreneur, an official meeting attended by more than 100 princes and princesses was held after King Oyo’s death, resulting in the selection of a 21-member Royal Succession Committee headed by the Musuuga.
He says the committee began its work on August 31 with the task of finding a new Omukama.
But Mwenda claims the committee initially had no official knowledge that King Oyo had fathered a son.
“The committee began its work on August 31st, 2026. Its aim was to find a new king,” Mwenda said.
“Please note, that up to the time of Oyo’s death, there had never been any official or even informal communication to the babiito that King Oyo had sired a child, leave alone a son.”
Mwenda says information about the purported son, Jackson Oyo, later came from Queen Kemigisa’s brother, Patrick Kawamara.
He claims the committee subsequently learned that the boy’s mother was from the Muhinda clan, but says no photograph of the child was provided.
“Now the committee had gotten two different names for the purported son, there was no photo of him yet all other candidates had to be represented with photos of them,” Mwenda said.
He claims the committee considered the circumstances “dubious” and removed the purported son from consideration.
Mwenda says the committee then conducted a secret-ballot vote, with George Kamurasi emerging as the selected nominee for the throne.
According to his account, Kamurasi did not reject the throne but requested time to consult his wife and business partners in London. Mwenda says that delayed the process and ultimately led the committee to announce another nominee on September 9.
That nominee was Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma.
Mwenda also challenged the assumption that King Oyo’s son would automatically inherit the Tooro throne.
He argued that the 2022 Will referenced only a hypothetical heir and maintained that succession in Tooro is not automatically passed to a king’s son.
“In the will, written on September 14, 2022, there is only a hypothetical heir,” Mwenda said.
He further argued that questions surrounding the purported son’s mother and her relationship to the late king would need to be addressed before Jackson Oyo could be considered for the throne.
“A king cannot sleep with a prostitute on the street or a house maid, produce a son and it is hoisted onto the throne,” Mwenda said, while adding that he was not suggesting King Oyo had done so.
Mwenda’s comments directly deepen the divide over the succession process, with the royal family maintaining that King Oyo left a Will outlining his wishes and the succession committee presenting a different account of how the next king should be determined.
For now, both sides remain sharply divided over the late king’s alleged wishes, the status of Jackson Oyo and the legitimacy of the process that led to Prince Edward’s selection.