Fears over safety and a tense, polarised succession dispute forced the family of the late Omukama of Tooro, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukiidi IV, to leave his child behind in Texas, United States, Queen Mother Best Kemigisa has revealed.
In an emotional statement of appreciation addressed to the people of Tooro and Uganda, the Queen Mother shared details surrounding the absence of the late monarch’s child during the mourning and burial ceremonies. She noted that the family had initially intended for the child to travel to Uganda on the same plane as the rest of the family ahead of the final send-off.
“Before leaving Texas, our family had hoped that King Oyo’s child would return on the same plane with us,” Queen Mother Kemigisa stated. “However, as events unfolded in Tooro, concerns grew about bringing a child into a tense and polarised succession dispute. Ultimately, the child did not return with us”.
The revelation comes amid rising tensions within the Kingdom following the demise of King Oyo. According to the Queen Mother, factional disputes quickly erupted while the family was still mourning. She expressed deep sadness over the circumstances, emphasizing that a child should never be caught in the crossfire of royal politics or exposed to potential hostility in his father’s homeland.
“This has left me deeply saddened,” Kemigisa said. “Whatever disagreements existed, no child should ever be placed in circumstances where returning to his father’s homeland could mean being drawn into hostility and conflict”.
The Queen Mother recounted how attempts to choose a successor began prematurely, just hours after King Oyo passed away and before his body had even arrived home. She explained that while the late King’s body lay at Karuziika Palace, public announcements regarding rival claimants to the throne were made, accompanied by loud celebrations nearby, which she described as extraordinarily painful for a grieving mother.
Despite an agreement and a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between her representatives, government leaders, the Musuga, and representatives of the Babiito Clan to pause succession disputes until after a peaceful burial, she noted that the understandings were dishonored at Karambi.
Looking past the distress surrounding the burial and the succession rift, Queen Mother Kemigisa reaffirmed that King Oyo’s lineage and legacy remain intact, explicitly noting that his child is alive and will remain central to the kingdom’s future alongside his family.
“His mother is still here. His sister is still here. His child is still here. His people are still here. And God is still with us,” she stated.
Together with her daughter, Princess Ruth Nsemere Komuntale Farquharson, the Queen Mother committed to preserving King Oyo’s memory through the newly established King Oyo Memorial Foundation. The foundation will manage several developmental initiatives, including a museum, an international stadium, a model farm, and a research and teaching hospital.