The Edward Rukidi Nyabongo coronation will begin with a symbolic night procession through Fort Portal on Monday, September 28, as the Tooro Kingdom prepares for the formal crowning of its new King the following day.
The programme released by the Tooro Kingdom sets the procession for 10:00pm, starting at Rwengoma Palace on Bwamba Road and ending at the Mugabante entrance to Karuziika Palace.
Thousands of people are expected to take part in the procession, carrying traditional lamps made from well-dried reeds as they move towards the main palace.
Richard Rwabuhinga, the head of protocol for the coronation organising committee, announced the programme during a press conference at Karuziika Palace on Saturday, September 26.
The night procession is designed around a symbolic takeover of Karuziika Palace, with a mock battle planned at the Mugabante entrance.
The mock battle will involve forces representing Prince Charles Kamurasi, the Musuuga, and forces representing King-designate Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I.
According to Rwabuhinga, the staged confrontation represents the transfer of authority from the Musuuga to the incoming King.
“We shall gather at Rwengoma Palace at 10:00pm. After 10:00pm, we shall begin our trek towards the main palace at Karuziika in an assumed attack that we are coming now to take over the royal palace at Karuziika,” Rwabuhinga said.
Members of the public will stop at Mugabante after the procession, while the King and members of the royal family will continue into the palace for further traditional rituals.
The night will also carry another important part of the kingdom’s transition, with the restoration of the royal drums.
The drums were turned upside down following the death of former Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
As part of the scheduled rituals, Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I is expected to return the drums to their normal position.
Rwabuhinga said the rituals are expected to continue until morning.
Edward Rukidi Nyabongo coronation programme
The formal Edward Rukidi Nyabongo coronation is scheduled for Tuesday, September 29, at Karuziika Palace.
Members of the public are expected to begin arriving at the coronation venue from 7:30am, while VIP guests are scheduled to arrive from 8:00am.
At 8:45am, the King will leave Karuziika Palace for St John’s Cathedral Kabarole for a religious service.
Rwabuhinga said the visit to the cathedral is a cultural requirement before a Tooro King can be crowned.
“It is our culture that we cannot coronate the King in Tooro without reporting at St John’s Cathedral for a blessing.”
The service will be led by the Bishop or Archbishop and is expected to last about one-and-a-half hours.
No speeches are expected during the service apart from a vote of thanks by the Musuuga.
After the service, the King will return to Karuziika Palace for the official coronation ceremony.
The ceremony will also mark the return of two important symbols that had been affected by the mourning period following Oyo’s death.
The Tooro Kingdom anthem will be sung and the Kingdom flag will be raised to full mast for the first time since the death of King Oyo.
Rwabuhinga said the anthem had been suspended as part of the Kingdom’s mourning arrangements. Five speeches are listed for the official ceremony.
They will come from the chairperson of the organising committee, Prince Charles Kamurasi, the gender minister, the new King and Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Tom Butime.
Prince Charles Kamurasi is expected to formally abdicate and hand over authority to Edward Rukidi Nyabongo during his address.
Butime will then invite President Yoweri Museveni, who is expected to attend the ceremony as chief guest.
The crowning ceremony will follow, with Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I formally receiving the crown as the new Omukama of Tooro.
The coronation follows the death of former Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV and comes with a series of traditional practices intended to mark the transition in leadership.
The restoration of the royal drums, the return of the Kingdom anthem and the raising of the flag to full mast are among the scheduled elements of the transition.
The ceremonies also give members of the public an opportunity to participate in parts of the royal programme, particularly through the night procession in Fort Portal.
After the formal coronation, the King will proceed to Mucwa to meet the princesses and perform another traditional ritual with them. The programme does not provide further details about that ritual.
It also does not specify the exact time when the official coronation ceremony at Karuziika Palace will begin after the King’s return from St John’s Cathedral.
The name of the Bishop or Archbishop who will lead the religious service has also not been provided in the programme.
President Museveni is listed as expected to attend as chief guest, but the programme does not establish that he has already attended or separately confirmed his attendance.
With the night procession set for September 28 and the formal crowning scheduled for September 29, the Edward Rukidi Nyabongo coronation will combine public participation, religious observance and Tooro traditional rituals as the Kingdom marks the transfer of authority to its new Omukama.
