FORT PORTAL, Uganda — A new leadership dispute has emerged in Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom following the selection of Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the kingdom’s new monarch.

Kijanangoma, a television news anchor and editor with Uganda Broadcasting Corporation, was selected by the royal succession committee on September 9 following the death of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who died on August 27 at the age of 34.

The succession decision has immediately created controversy within the royal family.

Princess Ruth Komuntale, the late king’s sister, and Queen Mother Best Kemigisa have rejected the selection, arguing that Oyo Nyimba had identified his son as the heir in a will.

The disagreement has placed the traditional institution at the centre of a highly watched succession debate.

Although Uganda is a constitutional republic and traditional kingdoms do not exercise sovereign political power, the Tooro Kingdom retains significant cultural and social influence in western Uganda.

President Yoweri Museveni has also previously said that the late king left behind a young heir, adding another important dimension to the succession discussion.

The dispute could test the ability of Tooro's royal institutions to maintain unity during a sensitive transition.

King Oyo’s burial is scheduled for September 12, with large crowds expected in Fort Portal and surrounding areas.

The selection of Kijanangoma now means the kingdom must navigate both the formal succession process and concerns raised by members of the royal family.

The coming days could be crucial for determining whether the succession dispute is resolved through consensus or develops into a deeper institutional disagreement within Tooro.