George Desmond Kamurasi, who is captain of SE Dons in the ninth tier of English football, has been selected by a committee to be the ruler of the Tooro people, according to reports in Uganda.
It comes after his cousin, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, 34, died.
๐จ๐บ๐ฌ NEW: A non-league goalkeeper from England has been chosen to take the throne of a kingdom in Uganda
George Desmond will become king following the death of his cousin
[@TeleFootball]
Friend, Iโm sorry if I sometimes get too attached to you, especially if it ever makes you uncomfortable. I have lived much of my life through friendships,in many ways, friends have been my family. They have made me smile when I had no reason to, fed me when I was hungry, sheltered me when I had nowhere to go, and helped me when I needed it most.
Maybe thatโs why I hold on to pushing. I never meant to inconvenience you, Friend. I just saw in you the kind of friendship that once gave me hope and a reason to smile. If I became too attached, it was never to burden you,it was simply because I genuinely valued you.
THE SON KING OYO LEFT BEHIND COULD STILL BECOME KING OF TOORO. HEREโS WHY.
One of the biggest misconceptions in the current Tooro succession debate is the claim that because King Oyo was unmarried, any son he left outside marriage could not possibly become Omukama.
In the Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom, this exact issue reached the Supreme Court of Uganda. In Prince Mpuuga Rukidi v Prince Iguru Solomon, the Court considered whether a son of the Omukama could belong to the Royal Family when he was not born to the Omukamaโs official wife. The Court recognised that the Royal Family included sons of the Omukama irrespective of whether they were born to the official wife, meaning the motherโs marital status did not automatically remove the child from the royal family. What mattered was that he was a son of the Omukama and therefore a member of the Royal Family.
That is extremely important lesson for the Tooro debate too.
It means the statement โOyo was not married, therefore his son can never be Kingโ is far too simplistic. A Kingโs son does not necessarily cease to be a prince (heir) simply because his mother was not the Kingโs wife. In Bunyoro, the Supreme Court recognised the royal status of the Omukamaโs son irrespective of his motherโs status.
But there is an even more interesting part of that Bunyoro case.
The late Omukama had nominated Prince Iguru as his successor, and the court accepted evidence of that nomination, including the Omukamaโs will. The Supreme Court ultimately upheld Iguruโs qualification and succession to the Bunyoro throne.
Now bring that back to Tooro.
King Oyo was unmarried, but Tooroโs Prime Minister has publicly stated that Oyo left a son and that the continuity of the Crown was assured. President Museveni has also said that Queen Mother Best Kemigisha told him Oyo left a young son. At the same time, the head of the Babiito royal clan has said the clan had not previously been informed about the child but the clan can be informed with clearly stated reason for delay to announce the child to clan leaders was to first have a formal marriage.
This is where the succession becomes truly fascinating.
If Oyo left a son, and that son is eventually presented, his paternity established, his royal status recognised and his claim accepted according to Tooro custom, there is nothing in the Tooro tradition that allows to casually declare that a child born outside a formal marriage is automatically disqualified from royal succession.
And perhaps the most important unanswered question is what Oyo himself may have left behind.
If there is any written acknowledgement, declaration, nomination or other credible evidence showing that Oyo recognised this child as his son or intended him to continue his royal line, that evidence could become extremely important in the succession debate.
There is no publicly verified evidence yet that Oyo left a will naming his son as successor, but what if Queen mother Best Kemigisa was left with one while Oyo was dying ?
If such evidence exists, Tooro may have a very different succession question on its hands.
Bunyoro Kingdom has already shown that the son of a King can remain part of the Royal Family and become king regardless of the marital status of his mother. The question now is whether Tooroโs own traditions will lead to a similar conclusion.
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