Former television news anchor Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma has been crowned as Edward Rukidi Nyabongo the First, becoming the 13th king of Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom during a ritual-filled ceremony at Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal.
The 56-year-old monarch, a cousin of the late ruler, was selected by the 21-member royal Babiito clan to succeed King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi the Fourth, who died from cancer at age 34 last month.
Traditional coronation rites, including a ceremonial mock battle, the slaughter of a bull, and the ceremonial sprinkling of hen’s blood, proceeded despite a fierce succession battle.
Queen Mother Best Kemigisa and Princess Ruth Komuntale challenged the coronation, alleging that the late king left a young son and a written will naming him as the rightful heir. While Uganda’s traditional monarchies hold no formal political authority under the constitution, they exert significant cultural influence across the country.
–ChannelAfrica–
