Uganda royal family under house arrest, queen mother says

The mother of Uganda's late Tooro king said Thursday that she and other members of the royal family were being held against their will in the palace during a succession dispute.

Queen Mother Best Kemigisa said troops had removed the royal guards without notice and deployed around the palace. "We cannot leave or receive people freely. We are under house arrest," she said.

The dispute follows the death last month of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who became king at the age of three and ruled the Tooro Kingdom for 31 years. He died while receiving cancer treatment in the United States.

A selection committee from the Babiito royal clan announced Wednesday that Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a news anchor for public broadcaster UBC, had been chosen to succeed his cousin as king.

Princess Ruth Komuntale, the late king's sister, opposed the decision. She said the king had drafted a will in 2022 designating "a biological son" as heir, but did not name him.

Uganda is a republic but officially recognises traditional kings, who mainly serve as cultural institutions with limited political power.