Royal succession dispute in Uganda

Uganda prepares to bury late boy king amid royal succession dispute

The funeral of Tooro's King Oyo Nyimba, a traditional monarch who ascended the throne of the Tooro Kingdom in 1995 and died last month at 34, is set to end a nine-day mourning period that has been marked by a succession dispute over who should succeed him. King Oyyo, who was unmarried when he died, was reportedly left behind a son born out of wedlock. Elders with the kingdom's ruling clan, known as the Babiito, dispute this, leading to sensational claims of at least two possible heirs. A committee of Tooros elders has chosen a prince working as a journalist to succeed Oyo, earning praise from traditionalists who want an adult on the throne. The succession battle could go to the courts after his family claims he left behind an unquoted will that was ignored by Tooro elders.