King Oyo of Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom was buried on Saturday amid a growing dispute within the royal family over who should succeed him.
Oyo, who died in the United States last month while undergoing treatment for cancer, was 34 and unmarried. His death has triggered a succession dispute over claims about his possible heir.
The Tooro Kingdom is one of Uganda’s traditional monarchies. Although Uganda is a republic and its kings have no formal political authority, traditional rulers retain influence as custodians of culture and heritage.
A selection committee from the Babiito royal clan has named Oyo’s cousin, Edward, as the next king. However, Oyo’s sister has rejected the decision and accused unnamed individuals of conspiring against her and their mother.
She claimed that Oyo had left a will naming his “biological son” as his successor. Tooro officials, however, have said they were unaware of such a child.
The claim has sparked debate over the requirements for succession, with prominent Ugandan figure Andrew Mwenda questioning whether an alleged son could automatically inherit the throne without the identity and background of his mother being established.
“This is not to suggest that Oyo did any of this. It is simply to say that he was not officially married, and if he left a son, Tooro needs to know the mother and her background,” Mwenda said in a social media post.
The succession dispute has been accompanied by allegations of restrictions on members of the royal family.
Queen Mother Best Kemigisa said in a statement on Thursday that troops had removed royal guards from the palace without notice and deployed soldiers around the premises.
“We cannot leave or receive people freely. We are under house arrest,” she said.
The allegations have added tension to the succession process as the royal family and traditional authorities prepare to determine who will occupy the Tooro throne following Oyo’s death.
Oyo became king of Tooro as a child and had reigned for decades before his death. His successor is expected to be formally installed after the dispute over the succession is resolved.
