The next King of Tooro Kingdom will not be chosen through a public vote, Musuuga Charles Kamurasi has said, putting to rest suggestions that members of the public could have a say in determining the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV’s successor.
Kamurasi, who chairs the 21-member Royal Succession Committee, said the next Omukama will be selected according to the kingdom’s established customs, traditions, values and cultural norms.
“We will get a King. Tooro will get a new King in accordance with the Kingdom’s established norms, values and traditions, not through vote. We will not vote for a new King, no,” Kamurasi said.
His comments come days after reports that the Royal Succession Committee had settled on Prince George Desmond Kamurasi as its preferred candidate to succeed King Oyo.
The reported decision followed a September 4 meeting at Fort Motel in Fort Portal City, where 18 of the committee’s 21 members were reportedly present. Of those who attended, 15 were said to have supported the prince’s candidature.
However, Kamurasi has not officially identified the person who will succeed Oyo.
The Babiito clan, the royal lineage from which Tooro kings are drawn, constituted the succession committee on August 28, two days after King Oyo died in Texas, United States, aged 34.
The committee consists of senior clan elders and kingdom officials and is tasked with identifying the next Omukama, presenting him to relevant stakeholders and overseeing the cultural ceremonies associated with the transition.
Tooro Kingdom officials have maintained that royal succession is a cultural process guided by lineage and established customs under the authority of the Office of the Musuuga.
The succession question has also drawn attention following remarks by Queen Mother Best Kemigisa that King Oyo had left behind a son who would be heir to the throne.
Kamurasi has since disputed that position, although he has not disclosed who will ultimately take over the throne.
Under Tooro customary protocol, the formal announcement of the new Omukama is expected after King Oyo’s burial.
As Musuuga, Kamurasi is the person authorised to make the official announcement of the new King.
For now, the succession process remains firmly rooted in Tooro’s traditional system, with Kamurasi making one point clear: the kingdom will not choose its next King through an election.