The process of enthroning the new King involves a series of rituals within the palace.
The Babiito royal clan has made a stand on the pronouncement of the new Omukama of the Tooro Kingdom, noting that such a declaration will not be made through a press conference, radio announcement or other conventional public communication.
Mr Moses Musinguzi, spokesperson for the Babiito clan under the office of Omujwera Musuuga, said this will be done through a series of traditional rituals leading to the identification and enthronement of the new king, calling upon members of the public to pay close attention to rituals surrounding the burial and succession process, saying they will reveal the identity of the next king.
“The new King will come to be known by the public through rituals. If the Babiito royal clan members have already identified him, by the day of burying the King on September 12, the prince will be one of those performing the rituals for burying the King,” Mr Musinguzi said in an interview on Saturday with this publication.
He explained that the rituals will continue until the new Omukama is identified and eventually enthroned, paving the way for his coronation.
Mr Musinguzi added that one of the traditional rituals involves placing nine coffee beans inside the grave, known as Iziba, during the burial of the deceased King.
According to Mr Musinguzi, members of the public should therefore observe who takes part in particular rituals because they could provide clues about the identity of the successor.
He said, for example, the prince who crosses Omusanga during the succession rituals will automatically be identified as the new King.
Omusanga is the space in front of the main entrance of the door of Karuziika (palace); it is only designated for royal family members, including the king, Queen Mother, Omujwera Musuuga [Charles Kamurasi], among other royal family members.
That place is where a King sits during royal functions, including coronation, among others.
How the new King will emerge
Mr Musinguzi said the process of enthroning the new King, known as Okujumura Butwarane, involves a series of rituals within the palace.
He explained that the new King will first be accompanied by his maternal uncle, who will take him through Mugabate, the main gate of the palace, before handing him over to Omujwera Musuuga.
The Musuuga will then lead the prince across Omusanga, after which the Abajaguzi, the traditional ritualists, will take him into the palace.
Inside the palace, the Abajaguzi, with him, will perform rituals involving turning the royal regalia upwards, which have been turned upside down after the death of the king.
Mr Musinguzi said the royal drum will initially be turned upwards as part of the rituals, alongside other royal regalia.
The procession will then move to Akaswa, a small hill within the palace grounds, where another ritual will be performed before returning for Amakondere, the royal dance.
It is during these daytime rituals, he said, that members of the public will gradually come to know who has been selected as the next Omukama.
“People should be observant during the rituals. The prince who crosses Omusanga will automatically be the new King. The one who receives the regalia from the Abajaguzi, touches the regalia and sounds the royal drums will also be identified as the King,” Mr Musinguzi said.
No voting for the royal throne
Mr Musinguzi also dismissed information circulating on social media suggesting that the Babiito royal clan had already voted for one of the princes to become the next King.
He said the selection of an Omukama should not be compared to a political election because the Babiito do not vote for a King.
“What is circulating on social media that there is someone whom Babiito voted for is not true. A King is put on the throne; he is not elected through voting,” he said.
Mr Musinguzi explained that the Babiito meet and consider the princes within the royal family before identifying the person who should become Omukama.
“The Babiito sit and look at the princes they have and identify one person who becomes the King. They know what they follow for one to become a King. If it were an election, it would mean some princes contested against each other,” he said.
He said the process should therefore not be interpreted using the language of political elections, where candidates compete for votes.
Musuuga holds authority over the announcement
Mr Musinguzi further clarified that although a four-member committee of communication during this mourning period has been established to provide updates on activities taking place at the palace during the mourning period, the committee does not have the mandate to announce the new King.
He said the committee's role is to communicate developments concerning the ongoing mourning and related activities.
“The committee of four people is responsible for making updates about the ongoing activities at the palace, but announcing who the new King is is not their mandate. That authority is with the Musuuga,” he said.
The clarification comes amid increasing speculation on social media about the identity of the next Omukama as the Babiito royal clan undertakes the succession process.
Mr Musinguzi cautioned the public against accepting every piece of information circulating online.
He said while some information shared on social media could be accurate, other reports could be false or misleading.
“Some of the information on social media could be true, and others could be false. People should first look at who has authored the information and establish its source,” he said.
For now, the Batooro are expected to continue mourning Oyo while observing the traditional rituals that will accompany his burial and the transition to the next reign.
The late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who ascended the throne in 1995 at the age of three, is scheduled to be buried on September 12.
According to the Babiito clan, the process of succession will be guided by Tooro's traditional customs, with the public expected to witness the emergence of the next King through the rituals rather than through a conventional announcement.
