The two children of Omujwera Musuuga Charles Kamurasi, who are also princes of the royal family, have openly rejected their father’s position in the escalating dispute over who should succeed the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, deepening divisions within the Babiito clan and royal family.
Speaking at a press conference in Fort Portal, Prince Patrick Mpuuga and Prince Solomon Nyaika said they disagreed with their father’s position on the succession and maintained that Oyo’s Will should prevail.
The two, who described the late king as their elder brother and friend, said the Will was clear on how the Tooro throne should be inherited and accused some members of the Babiito clan of attempting to overturn the late king’s wishes.
“We disagree with our own father. His position, it is very surprising that he has taken that stand. We disagree, with all honesty, because the truth prevails,” Prince Mpuuga said.
He argued that Oyo’s Will should take precedence over an earlier Will made by their grandfather, which some Babiito clan members have invoked.
“It is very clear that the Will of the king now supersedes any Will that existed in the past,” he said.
The remarks came a day after the Babiito royal clan announced Prince Edward David Rukidi Kiijanangoma as the next Omukama, a decision rejected by members of Oyo’s immediate family.
The disagreement has created an unusual split, with some members supporting the Babiito-led customary succession process while others insist the late king had already provided for continuity through his Will.
Prince Mpuuga said Oyo had personally discussed with him the possibility of taking on the position of Omujwera Musuuga, though it had not formally taken effect.
“In my conversation also with His Majesty, he had tasked me to take on that mantle of Musuuga. It may not have seen the light of day officially,” he said.
He said the move was intended to ensure continuity of Tooro culture and transfer of cultural knowledge between generations.
The princes said they were particularly concerned by their father and other elders supporting the Babiito succession process, arguing that the late king’s Will is a legal document that should be respected.
“We are going to follow the king’s Will first. The king has left the Will, his son, and the succession system,” Nyaika said.
He accused some members involved in the succession process of having been absent from the royal family and from Oyo’s life for many years.
He also questioned the authority of some individuals in the process and alleged that the Omujwera Musuuga had been influenced by people he described as outsiders. The allegations could not immediately be independently verified.
Nyaika said succession to the Tooro throne had historically followed a clear line of inheritance, citing previous kings.
He said Omukama Chwa II Kabalega Kasagama had initially faced a succession question before his cousin Rukidi became heir, and that subsequent succession passed through the royal family until Oyo inherited the throne from his father, Omukama Patrick Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III.
He argued that Oyo’s son should therefore be considered under the same principle of continuity.
“Oyo has a son and has a Will. All these people were using the Will, the Will, the Will. So it is not right these so-called Babiito who are saying that a king is not voted for,” Nyaika said.
He disputed the argument that the Babiito should constitute a committee to select the next king, saying the process being followed was inconsistent with Tooro’s succession history.
Despite the sharp disagreement, the royal family members appealed for calm.
Prince Mpuuga said the dispute should be resolved within the Constitution, the law and Tooro’s customs.
“We speak peace. We speak justice because, at the end of the day, the country is governed by the Constitution and the laws therein. May we observe those laws and, of course, the guiding customs and traditions,” he said.