09 September 2026 – UBC TV news anchor and editor Prince Edward Kijanangoma Rukidi has been named the new Omukama of the Tooro Kingdom, following the death of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV on 27 August, 2026.

Msgr. Isiah Mayombo announced the succession on Wednesday evening, 9 September, at Karuziika Palace in the presence of the Babiito royal clan leaders, who oversee the selection of the Tooro monarch.

Led by Babiito royal clan head Omusuuga Charles Akiiki Kamurasi, a 21-member succession committee chose Prince Edward Kijanangoma after reviewing several potential heirs from the royal family.

The newly named King, Prince Edward, is the son of the late Prince Christopher Paul Kijanangoma and grandson of former Tooro King George David Rukidi III, who reigned 1904 – 1965.

His enthronement will follow the traditional customs and rituals of the Tooro Kingdom. Once crowned, he will take the regnal name selected by the Babiito clan leaders.

Meanwhile, some members of the Tooro royal family, including the late King’s sister Princess Nsemere Komuntale, backed by their paternal aunt Princess Elizabeth Bagaaya, have publicly refuted the announcement by the Babiito clan leaders.

The disagreement was thereafter reinforced through Tooro Kingdom’s official platforms, posting scanned copies of the late King Oyo’s 2022 will, under the caption: “Under the Will, his [King Oyo’s] son is designated as the first heir and successor to the throne. Should he be unable to assume the throne, succession passes in order to Prince Komwiswa Yoweri, followed by Prince Nyaika Solomon.”

11 Sept. 2026: Edward Kijanangoma Rukidi Wife & Children
Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma exchanged vows to his Iteso bride, Rebecca Donna Amoding, in December 2018 at Watoto Church, Ntinda. While Rebecca’s professional background as a corporate human resources executive is well known, the couple has kept their personal life tightly under wraps, leaving details about their children and day-to-day life out of the public eye.

Edward Kijanangoma Rukidi in Rwanda
For about 8 years,  the Tooro prince, Edward Kijanangoma Rukidi, previously worked as a news anchor for Rwanda Television (RTV) under the Kinyarwanda-style pseudonym Eddie David Nkurunkenzire. Though rumoured to be a safety precaution, media analysts maintain the pseudonym was merely a standard professional requirement for Rwandan airwaves.

Edward Kijanangoma later returned to Uganda to join UBC in 2014, serving as a reporter, editor, talk show host, and main news anchor until the day he was named successor to the Tooro throne.

Updated on 12 Sept. 2026: New Omukama of Tooro Nyabongo I
During the funeral service for the late King Oyo at St. John’s Cathedral in Fort Portal, the Omusuuga publicly declared Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I as the new Omukama of Tooro. Highly placed sources confirmed that the new King, Nyabongo I, subsequently performed the sacred traditional ritual, dropping nine coffee beans into King Oyo’s grave to seal the succession.

Updated on 15 Sept. 2026: Nyabongo I Coronation Confirmed
On Wednesday, 15 September 2026, Omusuga Charles Kamurasi announced that the formal coronation of Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I as the new King of Tooro will be held on 29 September 2026, after all cultural rites are completed.

The announcement followed a session of the Tooro Supreme Council at the kingdom’s Muchwa Parliament and headquarters, where members overwhelmingly endorsed Nyabongo I as the successor to the late King Oyo Nyimba Rukidi IV.