King Oyo’s Alleged Son Is a Scam

Full Video:    • ANDREW MWENDA: CAN A WILL & Royal Family D...   Journalist Andrew Mwenda has explained his version of the controversy surrounding the succession to the Tooro throne following the death of Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV. Mwenda said he was closely related to the late king and that his family had longstanding connections to the Tooro royal household. He defended his involvement by presenting himself as both a journalist and a stakeholder in the kingdom. However, the interview showed that he was also an active participant: he contacted potential successors, organised meetings with elders, communicated with succession committee members and briefed senior government and security officials. The main controversy concerns reports that King Oyo left a young son. Mwenda said members of the Babito royal clan had not been informed about the child during the king’s lifetime. He claimed that the child was introduced to the succession committee only after the king’s death and that his photograph, mother’s identity and maternal family were not disclosed. According to Mwenda, the child was presented as Jacob Oyo Amooti, although he alleged that different names had previously been used. He called for a DNA test to confirm whether the child was biologically related to King Oyo and claimed that the Queen Mother had refused such a test. No documentary evidence of that refusal was presented during the interview. Mwenda argued that even a positive DNA result would not automatically make the child king. He said Tooro custom also requires consideration of the mother’s clan, family background and the circumstances of the child’s birth. He questioned why the alleged son had remained unknown to the Babito for approximately three years. Mwenda went further and alleged that the child might actually be the son of one of the Queen Mother’s nephews. He attributed this information to an unnamed source within the family. This remains an unverified allegation and should not be treated as an established fact. Mwenda said that after King Oyo’s death, more than 100 Babito princes and princesses met and appointed a 21-member Royal Succession Committee. The committee reportedly considered four possible successors. According to Mwenda, George Desmond Kamurasi emerged as the leading candidate. He said George was closely placed within the royal lineage and that he personally contacted him in the United Kingdom and asked him to travel to Uganda. Mwenda also arranged meetings between George and Tooro elders. Mwenda claimed that 18 committee members attended the final meeting and that 15 voted for George. George reportedly asked for more time to consult his family and business partners before accepting the responsibility. He was also said to be concerned about the effect of the kingship on his British wife and children. Mwenda said the committee believed it could not wait because further delays might expose the process to manipulation and influence-peddling. It therefore moved to Edward Rukidi Kiijanangoma, whom he described as the second-most suitable candidate. The interview did not clearly establish whether another formal vote was held for Edward, how many committee members supported him or whether George was given a defined deadline. These are important questions because Mwenda described the committee’s decision as final, although its original selection had already changed. Mwenda also discussed a document said to be King Oyo’s will, reportedly dated 14 September 2022. According to his interpretation, the document did not confirm that the king already had a child. It stated that if the king died leaving a child, that child would be his heir, and reportedly named two cousins as alternatives. However, the interview did not establish whether the will was authentic, properly witnessed or capable of determining succession to the throne. It was also unclear whether “heir” referred to the kingship, inheritance of the king’s personal property or both. On government involvement, Mwenda denied that the President or the Chief of Defence Forces selected the successor. He said they were informed because the state was responsible for security. Nevertheless, he admitted briefing the CDF and advising that no announcement should be made until the President had been informed. This raises questions about whether the state’s role was limited to security or extended into the succession process. Mwenda repeatedly accused the Queen Mother and members of her family of withholding information and attempting to introduce an unverified child into the succession. His claims were forceful, but they were not independently proven in the interview, and the Queen Mother’s position was not presented.