Ex-TV anchor crowned king of Ugandan kingdom after bitter succession fight

Former television anchor Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma was crowned as Tooro Kingdom's new king in Fort Portal after a contested succession. His enthronement closes, for now, a family dispute while restoring a key cultural symbol for the Batooro people.Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, 56, was crowned on Tuesday as the 13th monarch of the Batooro people. (Photo: Reuters)A former television news anchor has been enthroned as the new king of Uganda's historic Tooro Kingdom, bringing a bitter succession dispute to a dramatic close, at least for now.Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, 56, was crowned on Tuesday as the 13th monarch of the Batooro people in a traditional ceremony filled with rituals, royal celebrations. He succeeds King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who died last month at the age of 34 after battling cancer.But the path to the throne was far from straightforward. Oyo's death triggered a dispute within the royal family after his mother and sister claimed that the late king had left behind a young son who, according to a previously undisclosed will, was supposed to inherit the throne.The royal Babiito clan, however, said it knew of no such child and proceeded with the selection of Kijanangoma, a cousin of the late king. A 21-member succession committee from the Babiito clan chose Kijanangoma as Oyo's successor. According to Reuters, Uganda's central government pushed through the decision despite objections from Oyo's mother, Best Kemigisa. Kijanangoma has now taken the royal name Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I.KINGDOM WITHOUT POLITICAL POWERThe coronation took place in Tooro's capital, Fort Portal, where centuries-old traditions continue to shape the kingdom's cultural and social life. Uganda is a constitutional republic in which political power rests with elected institutions and the President. But several kingdoms still hold considerable influence as symbols of history, identity and heritage.The kingdoms no longer have constitutional authority, yet their monarchs retain an important cultural role among their communities. For the Batooro people, therefore, the installation of a new king is much more than a ceremonial event.Nyabongo I's enthronement followed a series of traditional rituals. He walked to Karuziika Palace, the royal residence in Fort Portal, between midnight and 3 AM (local time) before taking part in a mock battle as part of the traditional process of claiming the crown.The ceremony also involved the slaughter of a bull and the sprinkling of a hen's blood. The events were preceded by days of preparations, with relatives gathering at Karuziika Palace alongside traditional drummers and dancers wearing calabashes and orange bark-cloth shawls."Everyone in Fort Portal is happy because of this new king. We are preparing. Women are ironing their masuka. Men are ironing their kanzus," Tooro resident Elizabeth Kengonze said in the run-up to the ceremony, as per Reuters."People are practicing how they will sing Amakondere (praise music). We are very happy and grateful because Tooro, as a culture, is being promoted and the young ones are now knowing and learning how the Tooro culture was."FROM NEWSROOM TO ROYAL PALACEThe new king's background makes his rise to the throne particularly unusual.Before becoming monarch, Kijanangoma worked as a news anchor and editor at Uganda's state broadcaster, UBC. Former colleagues have described him as humble and down to earth.His selection also came at a time of uncertainty following the death of Oyo, one of Uganda's best-known traditional rulers. Oyo became an international figure at just three years old when he was enthroned in 1995 following the death of his father. Images of the toddler wearing royal robes and a crown attracted global attention, and he became known as the world's youngest reigning monarch.He remained on the throne for nearly three decades. Oyo died in the US on August 27 while receiving treatment for angiosarcoma, an aggressive form of cancer. He was 34.He was buried on September 12 at the Karambi Royal Tombs in Fort Portal.- EndsWith inputs form Reuters