By Ben Musanje
Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki has appealed to members of the Tooro community to tone down public disagreements and rally behind the incoming King as preparations intensify for the September 29 coronation.
Rwomiire made the appeal in a post on his X account as debate continued online following a viral video appearing to show Queen Mother Best Kemigisa removing curtains and other belongings from Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal.
The footage, shared on September 21 by Omuhamba Businge Akiiki, triggered speculation on social media about the circumstances surrounding the clearing of parts of the palace, with various claims emerging about the Queen Mother’s departure and the preparations for a new reign.
But Rwomiire sought to shift the conversation away from speculation and confrontation, urging the people of Tooro to protect the dignity of the institution and avoid turning internal disagreements into public divisions.
“ABANTU BATOORO, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. TWASWARA!” he wrote, before asking: “What kind of Tooro do we desire?”
He invoked Tooro’s cultural traditions as a basis for restraint, arguing that love for the kingdom should be demonstrated through conduct that preserves its dignity.
“We are a proud people with norms and traditions that teach us dignity, restraint and respect,” he said.
Rwomiire urged members of the community to practise what he described as self-regulation, particularly in their use of social media.
“Share less of what embarrasses the institution. Resist heated narratives. Comment less, listen more and lower the temperature,” he said.
He warned against allowing disagreements within the kingdom to become more important than the interests of Tooro.
“We are not opposing teams. There is only one team: TEAM TOORO,” he said.
Palace video fuels speculation
The appeal comes amid a sensitive transition following the death of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV on August 27, 2026.
Tooro royal elders subsequently selected Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as his successor after their first choice, George Desmond Kamurasi, declined the throne. The new monarch adopted the regnal name Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I.
His coronation is scheduled for September 29, 2026, at Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal City.
The preparations have, however, unfolded alongside questions from some members of the royal family about the succession process. Princess Ruth Komuntale has called for a review of the decision, citing a purported will that she said allegedly named a son of the late King Oyo as heir.
Against that background, the video showing the palace being cleared quickly became a subject of intense discussion online.
Former intelligence chief Gen David Sejusa has urged the public not to panic over the footage.
Sejusa’s explanation was that changes to a palace or official residence can accompany a change of occupant, including the removal of fittings and refurbishment of floors, ceilings and other parts of the building.
He also pointed to older Tooro practices in which a new king could move into a different palace while the previous one remained available for ceremonial purposes.
His comments came as social-media narratives offered competing explanations for the removal of the items, including claims that the Queen Mother had been forced out, that she was reclaiming property she had financed or that the move had political implications.
Sejusa instead presented the development as part of preparations for a new occupant rather than evidence of a crisis.
Prime Minister urges focus on coronation
For Rwomiire, the immediate priority should be ensuring that the transition is handled with dignity and unity.
He called on Tooro subjects to rally behind the incoming King and direct their energy towards the September 29 coronation.
“Let us rally behind our new King and unite around Kujumura Empango on 29th September,” he said.
He urged members of the community to ensure that the occasion becomes a dignified beginning to the new chapter of the kingdom.
He also asked the public to stop speculating about appointments and titles, saying such decisions should be left to the King.
“His Majesty the King will make those decisions, in his wisdom and at the appropriate time. Let us give him that space and respect the Crown,” he said.
The Prime Minister’s message comes at a moment when social media has become a major arena for debate over the future of the kingdom. His appeal was therefore as much about managing the conversation as it was about the coronation itself.
“Let history remember us not for the noise we made, but for the wisdom we showed when Tooro needed us most,” Rwomiire said.
He ended with a message aimed at putting the kingdom’s interests above the competing narratives surrounding the transition: “IN ALL, TOORO COMES FIRST.” (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
