A former television news anchor has been installed as the 13th king of Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom, concluding a contentious succession battle. Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma was crowned on Tuesday in a ceremony steeped in tradition.
The coronation follows a dispute triggered by the death of the previous monarch, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, last month. The king died from cancer at the age of 34.
Conflict arose after his mother claimed that a previously undisclosed son of the late king was the rightful heir to the throne.
Wait, he was just reading news? Now he’s wearing the crown. Traditional institutions are certainly adapting in unexpected ways these days.
A former TV anchor becomes king? That is a wild career pivot, but glad the dispute is finally settled for Tooro.