FORT PORTAL, UGANDA — Prominent Ugandan journalist and royal family relative Andrew Mwenda has sharply criticized Queen Mother Best Kemigisa amid the escalating succession dispute in Tooro Kingdom, accusing her of obstructing the burial of the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV and of a long history of interference in the affairs of the kingdom.
In a strongly worded statement, Mwenda alleged that Kemigisa had initially refused to allow King Oyo’s body to leave Karuziika Palace for the funeral service and later resisted its transfer to the Karambi Royal Tombs. He claimed the situation had created a serious dilemma for government officials and mourners, particularly because Tooro customs traditionally require the burial of a deceased king to take place during the day. The official burial programme had scheduled the final rites at Karambi Royal Tombs after the funeral service at St John’s Cathedral.
Mwenda went further, accusing the Queen Mother of what he described as “greed, intrigues and intransigence” spanning more than three decades. Among the most serious allegations in his statement, he accused her of involvement in the displacement of the former Queen Mother Kezia Byanjeru in 1998 and alleged that she was responsible for the 1999 murder of Prince Kijanangoma. These claims are presented here as allegations made by Mwenda and have not been independently established by this publication.
The latest accusations come against the backdrop of an already bitter succession dispute following King Oyo’s death. The Babiito royal clan selected Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the next king, while members of Oyo’s immediate family, including Queen Mother Best Kemigisa and Princess Ruth Komuntale, have challenged the decision, arguing that Oyo’s purported will provided for a biological son to succeed him. Reuters and other international media have reported extensively on the dispute.
Mwenda also accused Kemigisa of attempting to influence the succession process and concluded his statement with a warning that Batooro’s patience had reached its limit. “We are kind, tolerant and patient but we are not stupid or cowards,” he wrote, declaring that, in his view, the Queen Mother could no longer continue with what he described as “machinations” against the kingdom.
The controversy has transformed King Oyo’s final send-off into a major test of Tooro’s traditions, royal authority and family unity. King Oyo, who ascended the throne at the age of three in 1995, was buried at the Karambi Royal Tombs on Saturday amid the unresolved succession dispute.
