Former TV host named new king of Tooro

Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I, 56, a former television news anchor, was crowned the 13th monarch of the Batooro people on September 29, 2026, in Fort Portal, Uganda. He succeeds King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru, who died in August 2026 at age 34 from angiosarcoma while treated in the United States after becoming king in 1995 at age three. A 21-member Babiito clan committee selected Nyabongo, Oyo's cousin. George Desmond Kamurasi, a British citizen and goalkeeper for South East Dons, renounced his claim before the coronation. President Yoweri Museveni attended rites that included a ceremonial walk, a symbolic battle for the crown, traditional dancing, and animal sacrifices. Nyabongo performed traditional rituals on September 28 and in his first address pledged to protect Tooro culture and encourage environmental protection. Tooro is one of five traditional kingdoms in Uganda; kings hold no formal political power. Best Kemigisa, Oyo's mother, and Princess Ruth Komuntale, his sister, said Oyo had an undisclosed son named as heir. The Babiito clan disputed knowledge of the child.