“Who Is Using Our Father?” — Omusuuga’s Children Demand Answers.

Prince Patrick Mpuuga and Prince Solomon Nyaika, sons of Omusuuga Charles Kamurasi, have come out strongly against what they describe as an attempt by self-interested individuals to hijack their father and use him to advance their own agenda. The princes say their father retired during last year’s coronation anniversary, after which the process of identifying and installing a new Musuuga was expected to begin. They further insist that the will left by the late King Oyo must be respected and is binding on all parties involved in the succession dispute. They also challenge the idea that a king can simply be elected through voting, arguing that Tooro monarchs are not chosen like politicians at the ballot box. But as the royal family and Babiito leadership continue to disagree over the succession, there is another player quietly watching this entire drama unfold: President Yoweri Museveni. Museveni has already positioned his government in the middle of the dispute, with Gen. Henry Tumukunde involved as his representative. And as the disagreements deepen, Museveni is eventually expected step forward as the “mediator” who comes to settle a crisis that the kingdom itself has failed to resolve. That is where this becomes politically interesting. The more divided Tooro becomes, the greater the opportunity for an outside power to step in as the peacemaker. And if the kingdom reaches a point where competing factions can no longer agree on who should lead, Museveni could find himself holding the cards—presenting himself as the man who can bring everyone together. Is that what is happening? There is some belief that Museveni created the succession crisis. But Ugandans have every reason to watch carefully as he increasingly becomes part of the process. Because sometimes, the person who arrives to mediate the fight can end up having enormous influence over how the fight is settled. And with Omusuuga’s children now accusing people of hijacking their father, the Tooro succession battle is becoming much bigger than simply Kijanangoma versus another claimant. It is now a battle over tradition, Oyo’s will, the authority of the Babiito, political influence—and who ultimately gets to decide the future of the Tooro Kingdom.