Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire is calling for calm as the dispute over who should succeed the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV continues to unfold.
In a statement released Thursday, Rwomiire urged the competing sides to “lower the temperature” and allow the succession question to be handled through the appropriate cultural, legal and institutional channels.
The Prime Minister acknowledged that there will be an opportunity to examine the Will reportedly left by the late king, hear those advancing different positions and consider the customs and laws governing succession.
“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,” Rwomiire said.
He stressed that the process should be peaceful and credible, warning against competing announcements and attempts to settle the matter through confrontation.
“That process should take place calmly and credibly, not through competing announcements, confrontation, or attempts to establish facts on the ground while our King still awaits burial,” he said.
The Prime Minister also appealed to the Government of Uganda to provide guidance and support to help preserve peace and order during what he described as a sensitive period for the Kingdom.
Rwomiire was careful to distinguish that request from asking the government to select Tooro’s next monarch.
“This is not a request for Government to choose a King for Tooro,” he said, describing the appeal instead as a call to protect the conditions necessary for the relevant cultural, legal and institutional processes to proceed peacefully and fairly.
He further called for respected elders, cultural leaders and other credible figures to become involved where necessary to help guide the Kingdom toward an orderly resolution.
The statement comes amid growing disagreement within the Tooro royal family and cultural institutions following the announcement of Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the selected successor to King Oyo.
That announcement has been challenged by members of the royal family, including Queen Mother Best Kemigisa, who have maintained that the late king’s wishes regarding succession should be considered.
With King Oyo’s burial still pending, Rwomiire’s latest statement puts the emphasis on restraint — and on allowing the succession dispute to move through the cultural, legal and institutional channels rather than being decided through competing declarations.