Queen Mother No More: Best Kemigisa’s 31-Year Royal Chapter Ends With Oyo’s Death

The death of Tooro’s Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV has brought a major change to the life of his mother, Best Kemigisa, whose formal role as Queen Mother has ended with the close of her son’s reign.

As the Tooro Kingdom prepares to crown Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I on September 29, the royal household is entering a new chapter. The transition will not only bring a new king to the throne but also change the official positions of members whose roles were directly connected to the late Omukama.

Rev. Fr. Dr Charles Oyo, spokesman for the Babiito Clan, explained that the position of Queen Mother is linked to the reigning Omukama. According to him, when a king dies, his mother no longer holds the official palace position of Queen Mother attached to that reign.

For Kemigisa, the change is particularly significant because she spent more than three decades in the role. Her son Oyo became Omukama in 1995 at just three years old following the death of his father, Omukama Patrick Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III, placing Kemigisa at the centre of the royal household during the early years of the young king’s reign.

Over the years, Kemigisa became one of the most recognisable figures in the Tooro royal family, with her identity closely associated with her position as Queen Mother. She witnessed Oyo grow from a young monarch into a king who remained on the throne for 31 years, making her role an important part of the history of his reign.

With Oyo’s death, however, Kemigisa’s official palace role has come to an end. She remains a member of the royal family and a respected elder with a significant place in Tooro’s history, but she is no longer the mother of the reigning Omukama.

The coming coronation of Nyabongo I will create a new royal household around the incoming king. His wife, Rebecca Amoding, is expected to assume her own place within that household, reflecting the different relationships and responsibilities that come with a new reign.

For Kemigisa, the transition carries both personal and institutional significance. She entered the palace life as the mother of a three-year-old king and spent 31 years carrying the title of Queen Mother. With Oyo gone and a new Omukama preparing to take the throne, her long chapter at the centre of Tooro’s royal household has now come to an end.