Tooro’s royal succession is now at the centre of a bitter dispute. Questions over King Oyo’s reported son, Kijanangoma, the Omusuuga and the timing of the next king’s appointment have left the kingdom facing a historic succession crisis.

The Tooro throne carries a history of disputed succession, royal power struggles and violence. From the 1999 gunning down of Prince Charles “Happy” Kijanangoma to battles involving the Ugandan state and influential political voices, the so-called Tooro curse continues to haunt the kingdom’s royal story.

King Oyo’s death has plunged Tooro into mourning and brought an ancient story back into the spotlight. As his remains return to the kingdom he ruled for more than three decades, the tragedy of a child king who died at 34 raises unsettling questions about Tooro’s royal history, succession, and the legend of Nyinamwiru.