The Tooro succession process has taken a major step forward with the selection of George Desmond Kamurasi, 36, as the proposed successor to the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
Kamurasi was selected on Friday, September 4, 2026, during a four-hour meeting of the 21-member Tooro Royal Succession Committee held at Fort Motel in Fort Portal City.
According to journalist and Tooro royal family insider Andrew Mwenda, 18 members attended the meeting, with 15 voting in favour of Kamurasi.
“The Royal Succession Committee of Tooro Kingdom met today, September 4, 2026, at Fort Motel in Fort Portal City and selected George Desmond Kamurasi (36) as the next king of Tooro,” Mwenda said.
The decision comes days after the death of King Oyo, who passed away on August 26, 2026, in Texas, United States.
WHO IS GEORGE DESMOND KAMURASI ?
Kamurasi comes from the Babiito royal family, the lineage from which Tooro’s kings have traditionally been selected.
He is reportedly the son of George Desmond “Jimmy” Mugenyi, the younger brother of former Omukama Patrick David Matthew Olimi Kaboyo II.
Mwenda says Kamurasi’s father was second in line to succeed his brother, according to the will of their father, former Omukama George Rukidi III, who reigned from 1928 to 1965.
His family background therefore places Kamurasi within a prominent branch of the Tooro royal lineage.
MUHOOZI REPORTEDLY ENDORSES THE SELECTION
Mwenda also said he briefed Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba and Gen. Kayanja Muhanga about the committee’s decision.
According to Mwenda, Gen. Muhoozi endorsed Kamurasi’s selection, saying it was in line with Tooro customs, precedents and succession laws.
Mwenda further claimed that Muhoozi told him President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni supports the decision.
He also said the President had dispatched a government delegation, led by a senior cabinet minister, to Fort Portal to engage stakeholders on the succession process.
THE KING HAS NOT YET BEEN FORMALLY PROCLAIMED
While the committee has selected Kamurasi, the process is not yet complete.
The Omusuuga is expected to formally communicate the committee’s decision to Babiito clan leaders. The customary process will then determine the next steps toward his proclamation and eventual installation.
According to Mwenda, Tooro tradition provides that the public announcement of a new king is made after the burial of the previous monarch.
The timing means Kamurasi’s selection comes at a particularly significant moment, as the kingdom prepares to lay King Oyo to rest following the return of his remains to Uganda on Friday.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- George Desmond Kamurasi, 36, has been selected as the proposed successor to King Oyo.
- 15 of the 18 committee members present reportedly voted in his favour.
- The selection was made on September 4, 2026, at Fort Motel in Fort Portal.
- Kamurasi is a member of the Babiito royal clan.
- He is reportedly the son of George Desmond “Jimmy” Mugenyi.
- Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba has reportedly endorsed the selection.
- Formal proclamation and installation are still pending.
TAKEAWAY
Kamurasi’s selection represents a significant development in Tooro’s succession process, but it should not yet be treated as his formal installation as Omukama. The remaining customary procedures, including communication to Babiito leaders and the eventual proclamation, still have to take place.
For now, the kingdom awaits the burial of King Oyo and the next stages of a succession process that is attracting considerable attention across Tooro and Uganda.
