The late Omukama of Tooro, Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, left behind a 2022 Will that expressly provides for the succession of the Tooro throne, with his son named as the first heir and successor, details of the document have emerged.
The Will, dated September 14, 2022, sets out a clear order of succession, putting King Oyo’s son ahead of other members of the royal family.
The document was presented in Fort Portal on Wednesday by the late King’s long-time personal lawyer, Michael Akampurira, before members of the royal family and government officials.
According to the Will, a son of King Oyo is designated as the first heir and successor to the throne of Tooro.
However, the identity of the son has not been publicly disclosed.
The revelation comes days after the death of King Oyo, who passed away on August 27, 2026, aged 34, while receiving treatment in the United States. His body was returned to Uganda on September 4 ahead of his burial in Tooro.
FOUR-MAN SUCCESSION LINE
The Will does not stop at naming Oyo’s son.
It establishes a fallback succession arrangement in case the young heir is unable to take up the crown.
According to the document, if King Oyo’s son dies before assuming the throne, becomes permanently incapacitated or is otherwise unable to succeed or undertake the responsibilities of the crown, the throne should pass to Prince Yoweri Komwiswa.
If Prince Komwiswa is also unable to assume the throne, the Will provides for Prince Solomon Nyaika to take over.
And if Prince Nyaika is unable to succeed, the succession would then pass to Musuga Charles Kamurasi, the head of the royal Babiito clan.
The order is therefore:
- King Oyo’s son
- Prince Yoweri Komwiswa
- Prince Solomon Nyaika
- Musuga Charles Kamurasi
WILL THROWS SUCCESSION DEBATE WIDE OPEN
The contents of the Will could significantly reshape the succession debate that has followed King Oyo’s death.
In the days after his death, different names emerged as possible successors, amid reports of meetings and competing claims over who should take over the Tooro throne.
The newly presented Will, however, puts King Oyo’s direct lineage at the top of the succession arrangement.
It also provides a written fallback plan involving members of the royal family should his son be unable to assume the crown.
The document therefore places the late King’s own stated wishes at the centre of the succession question.
‘CONTINUITY OF THE CROWN ASSURED’
Following King Oyo’s death, Tooro Kingdom officials had already indicated that the late monarch had left behind an heir.
Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki said the continuity of the Crown was assured and that the identity of the heir would be revealed at the appropriate time in accordance with Tooro customs.
The revelation of the Will now provides further details about the succession framework and confirms that the late King had made provisions for the future of the monarchy before his death.
SUCCESSION ORDER
The Will provides that succession should be implemented peacefully and with dignity, with the customs and traditions of the Tooro Kingdom applying insofar as they are consistent with the succession provisions contained in the document.
King Oyo ascended the Tooro throne in 1995 at just three years old, becoming internationally known as the world’s youngest reigning monarch at the time. He remained Omukama for more than three decades before his death.
His death has left the kingdom preparing for a transition that will determine the next chapter of the centuries-old Tooro monarchy.
For now, the biggest revelation is clear: King Oyo’s 2022 Will placed his own son first in line to the throne, with three royal relatives named as successors if the direct heir cannot assume the crown.
