Tooro Kingdom Gifts Land Cruiser to Chief Prince Charles Kamurasi Ahead of New King’s Coronation

In a striking public show of gratitude, the people of Tooro have presented Omusuuga Charles Kayondo Kamurasi Akiiki, the Chief Prince and head of the Babiito royal clan, with a brand-new white Toyota Land Cruiser TX. The vehicle, bearing the personalized registration plate MUSUUGA 001 and adorned with festive decorations, was delivered to Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal as part of a community-funded appreciation effort valued at around UGX 500 million.

The gift recognizes Kamurasi’s central role in guiding the kingdom through a sensitive transition following the death of Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV in late August 2026. The late king, who ascended the throne as a toddler in 1995 and became one of the world’s youngest reigning monarchs, died at age 34 while receiving treatment for cancer in the United States.

Steering the Succession Process

As head of the Babiito clan—the royal lineage from which Tooro kings are traditionally drawn—Kamurasi convened and chaired a 21-member Royal Succession Committee shortly after Oyo’s death. The committee’s work included identifying a successor according to clan customs and preparing the cultural rites for installation.

An initial selection of Prince George Desmond Kamurasi, a London-based relative and amateur footballer, was reported but he declined the role. The committee then settled on Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a cousin of the late king and a longtime news anchor and editor at Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC). He is set to reign as Omukama Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I (also referred to as Nyabongo I). The Tooro Kingdom Supreme Council (Orukurato) endorsed the choice, and the formal coronation is scheduled for September 29, 2026, at Karuziika Palace.

Government authorities have since recognized the process completed by the Babiito clan and kingdom institutions, clearing the way for the coronation ceremonies.

Crowds and Debate in Fort Portal

The arrival of the Land Cruiser drew crowds in Fort Portal, reflecting both celebration of cultural continuity and the tensions that have marked the succession. The gift forms part of a broader fundraising drive among Batooro in Uganda and the diaspora aimed at honouring Kamurasi’s service during the mourning period and transition. Reports indicate the funds were earmarked partly for a vehicle and partly for welfare or related appreciation efforts.

The process has not been without controversy. After Oyo’s death, kingdom officials initially stated that the late king had left behind a prince as heir whose identity would be revealed according to tradition. Members of Oyo’s immediate family, including the Queen Mother and Princess Ruth Komuntale, have pointed to a will they say names a biological son as the primary heir and have questioned the clan’s selection. Kamurasi and Babiito elders have maintained that any such child was not presented through the required customary channels involving the clan head, and that the succession followed established Tooro traditions when no legitimate heir was established within the royal procedures.

These differences have fuelled public debate over the balance between a deceased monarch’s documented wishes and longstanding clan authority over lineage and installation.

A Gesture of Recognition

Kamurasi, an uncle of the late king and a direct descendant of former Omukama George David Matthew Kamurasi Rukidi III, has long held the traditional office of Omusuuga. In Tooro custom, the role involves advising on cultural matters, coordinating the royal clan, and playing a decisive part in the transition and installation of a new monarch. Supporters of the gift describe it as public acknowledgment that the office held the centre during a period of grief and uncertainty.

As preparations for the September 29 coronation continue at Karuziika Palace, the Land Cruiser stands as a visible expression of thanks from sections of the Tooro community to the chief prince who steered the succession process. Whether the vehicle and the accompanying appreciation fully settle underlying family and customary disagreements remains to be seen, but the gesture underscores the enduring weight of tradition in one of Uganda’s historic kingdoms.