The coronation of Rukidi Kijanangoma Nyabongo I as the new Omukama of Tooro Kingdom took place on September 29, 2026, at Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal City, Uganda. The event was attended by President Yoweri Museveni and other dignitaries. According to Moses Musinguzi, spokesperson for the Babiito clan, the royal and ruling clan of the Tooro Kingdom, the coronation rites were ongoing as planned.
A TikTok post had claimed that the coronation had been postponed due to an "order from above," but this was dismissed as fake by Musinguzi. The post was part of a series of fact-checks by PesaCheck, a public finance fact-checking initiative, examining content marked as potential misinformation on social media platforms.
The Tooro Kingdom had not issued any official announcement confirming the alleged postponement, and cultural rites for the coronation of the new King were underway in Fort Portal. The King's mother, Yusta Asiimwe Kijanangoma, officially entered Karuziika Palace to begin her traditional duties and rituals in support of her son.
On September 28, 2026, a day before the coronation, some petitioners sought the court's intervention to halt the event, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Despite this, the coronation proceeded as scheduled, with Rukidi Nyabongo I being formally crowned as the new Omukama of Tooro Kingdom.
PesaCheck, an initiative of Code for Africa, has been working to help the public separate fact from fiction in public pronouncements about numbers that shape the world. The fact-checking organisation has been partnering with Facebook and similar social media platforms to sort fact from fiction.
The coronation of Rukidi Kijanangoma Nyabongo I marks a significant event in the history of the Tooro Kingdom, with the new King replacing the deceased King Rukidi IV. The kingdom's spokesperson, Moses Musinguzi, reassured the public that the coronation had taken place as planned, dismissing claims of postponement as unfounded.
Key stakeholders, including President Yoweri Museveni, attended the coronation ceremony, which was conducted in accordance with traditional customs and rituals. The event was a significant milestone for the Tooro Kingdom, and PesaCheck's fact-checking efforts helped to clarify the accuracy of claims surrounding the coronation.
Key points
- The coronation of Rukidi Kijanangoma Nyabongo I as the new Omukama of Tooro Kingdom took place on September 29, 2026, as scheduled.
- Claims that the coronation had been postponed due to an "order from above" were dismissed as fake by the kingdom's spokesperson.
- The coronation was attended by President Yoweri Museveni and other dignitaries, and was conducted in accordance with traditional customs and rituals.
