SAMSON KASUMBA RESURFACES MWENDA’S 2015 TRIBUTE TO QUEEN MOTHER KEMIGISA AMID TOORO SUCCESSION ROW
Ugandan journalist and NBS TV news anchor Samson Kasumba has resurfaced an old article by fellow journalist Andrew Mwenda praising Tooro’s Queen Mother, Best Kemigisa, for her role in raising the young Prince Oyo and keeping the kingdom together following the death of her husband, King Olimi III, in 1995.
Kasumba shared excerpts from Mwenda’s March 15, 2015 article on September 13, 2026—just a day after the burial of the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV at the Karambi Royal Tombs.
In the article, Mwenda praised Kemigisa for raising her young family while helping sustain the Tooro Kingdom during a difficult period when Oyo was still a toddler.
Mwenda also highlighted the Queen Mother’s ability to build relationships beyond Tooro, noting that the kingdom received support from individuals including businessman Sudhir Ruparelia, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The article portrayed Kemigisa as a key figure in rebuilding and maintaining the kingdom during Oyo’s early years, at a time when local support from some Batooro was reportedly limited.
Kasumba’s decision to bring the 2015 article back into the spotlight comes at a time when the Queen Mother is at the centre of renewed debate over the future of the Tooro monarchy following Oyo’s death
The succession dispute has seen a Babiito clan committee select Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the next Omukama, while questions remain over claims that the late King Oyo’s 2022 will identified his biological son as the preferred heir.
The resurfacing of Mwenda’s old tribute is particularly notable because the journalist has recently been critical of the handling of evidence surrounding the succession process, creating a striking contrast with his earlier praise of Kemigisa.
For many observers, the post has reopened discussion about the Queen Mother’s years of service to Tooro—and whether her past contribution should be separated from the current succession controversy.
What do you make of Samson Kasumba resurfacing Mwenda’s 2015 praise of Queen Mother Best Kemigisa at this particular moment?