Former TV Anchor Crowned King of Uganda's Tooro Kingdom
A familiar face from Ugandan television became a king on Tuesday, September 29, 2026.
Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, 56, was crowned in Fort Portal in western Uganda under the royal name Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I, the 13th monarch of the Batooro people. Reuters
Before the crown, he was known to viewers, not as an heir. He worked for years as a broadcaster and editor at the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation, Uganda's state-run television network. Former colleagues described him as “humble and down to earth,” as reported by Town & Country.
He succeeds his cousin, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV. Oyo died of cancer in August at age 34. He had been crowned in 1995 at age three and was listed by Guinness World Records as the world's youngest reigning monarch. His death triggered widespread grief, and President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni received his body at Entebbe International Airport and praised his leadership.
The choice of successor was made on September 9 by a 21-member committee from the royal Babiito clan, the family line that selects Tooro kings from eligible princes. The committee's first choice was a very different life story. George Desmond Kamurasi, 36, is a goalkeeper for SE Dons, a club in the ninth tier of English soccer in southeast London. He won 15 of 18 votes in an initial round but declined, citing other responsibilities and reluctance to leave London.
The selection has been disputed. The late king's mother, Best Kemigisa, has claimed Oyo left a will naming a young son as heir, according to Town & Country. The committee moved ahead with Nyabongo I.
The coronation followed traditional overnight rituals. They included a ceremonial walk to the palace and a mock battle for the crown. Crowds gathered at Rwengoma Palace on Bwamba Road to accompany the new king, known by the local title Omukama, on his symbolic night trek to Karuziika Palace. The journey began around midnight and involved symbols, titles, greetings and rituals.
What makes this stand out is the path to the throne. Most Americans meet royalty through birth order charts and palace announcements. Here a newsroom veteran stepped into a hereditary role after a London-based soccer player said no, and after a night of ritual that turned a public walk into a kingship.
