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Former Queen Mother Best Kemigisa has officially confirmed that the late monarch fathered a child in the United States.
Issuing a detailed multi-page statement of appreciation from Karuziika Palace, Kemigisa revealed that the family originally planned to fly the infant son of King Oyo home to Uganda on the same aircraft carrying the mortal remains of the monarch from Texas.
However, as intense succession disputes erupted within the Babiito Royal Succession Committee, concerns for the personal safety and physical security of the infant forced the family to leave the child in America.
The statement delivers a rare, unsparing breakdown of palace grief, broken diplomatic accords between royal factions, the involvement of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, and the launch of multi-billion-shilling legacy projects under the newly established King Oyo Memorial Foundation.
Why was King Oyo child kept in Texas during the funeral?
The most striking revelation within the declaration of Queen Mother Best Kemigisa addresses the fierce speculation regarding whether King Oyo left behind a direct biological heir (baby Oyo) prior to his death in Houston, Texas, on August 26, 2026.
Kemigisa confirmed that King Oyo fathered a child, but explained that escalating political hostility in Fort Portal City made it impossible to bring the infant into Uganda:
“Before leaving Texas, our family had hoped that King Oyo child would return on the same plane with us. However, as events unfolded in Tooro, concerns grew about bringing a child into a tense and polarized succession dispute. Ultimately, the child did not return with us.”
Addressing the emotional toll of shielding the infant from royal intrigue, Kemigisa expressed profound sadness over the hostile environment created by competing clan factions:
“Whatever disagreements existed, no child should ever be placed in circumstances where returning to his father homeland could mean being drawn into hostility and conflict. King Oyo wishes will always matter to us. We will honor his memory, protect his legacy, and continue the work to which he devoted his life.”
How was the burial MOU violated at Karambi Royal Tombs?
The official statement delivers a severe critique of the Babiito clan leadership under Omusuuga Charles Akiiki Kamurasi, accusing clan elders of disregarding formal agreements established prior to the state funeral on September 12, 2026.
According to Kemigisa, senior representatives of the royal household held emergency negotiations with central government officials, the Musuga, and Babiito clan elders before the casket departed Karuziika Palace.
During these high-level talks, all parties drafted and signed a binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) stipulating that King Oyo would receive a dignified burial without succession battles or secret coronation rituals interfering with the funeral.
However, during the final committal at Karambi Royal Tombs, the terms of the MOU were completely shattered when clan elders introduced Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma to execute the sacred nine coffee bean ritual (emmwanyi) over the grave crypt (Iziba):
“Before the burial, my representatives and I engaged Government leaders, the Musuga, and representatives of the Babiito Clan. We believed we had reached a clear understanding: King Oyo would receive a dignified burial, and succession disputes and rituals would not take place during his burial. An MOU was signed to that effect. What happened at Karambi left me devastated. The understandings reached before the burial were not honored, and the events of those final moments caused my daughter, Princess Komuntale, and me profound distress.”
Kemigisa also condemned the speed with which clan elders moved to replace her son while his body was still in transit from North America:
“Only hours after my son death, a committee was started to choose a new king. While my son body was still making its journey home to Tooro, a new king was announced. A couple of days after we reached Karuziika Palace, and with my son burial still ahead of us, another announcement of a second king was made immediately after the Will of King Oyo was read to members of the Royal Family. Loud celebrations took place only meters from where my son body lay.”
What role does President Yoweri Museveni play in King Oyo Memorial Foundation?
Despite the bitter fallout with Babiito clan ritualists, Queen Mother Best Kemigisa expressed deep personal gratitude to President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for financing medical interventions in the United States and covering the full cost of the state funeral.
Furthermore, Kemigisa announced that President Museveni has officially accepted an executive appointment to serve as the Patron and Founding Chairman of the King Oyo Memorial Foundation.
“I especially thank His Excellency the President of the Republic of Uganda, Gen. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. The President knew King Oyo from childhood and supported him through the difficult early years of his reign and throughout his life as Omukama of Tooro… I am also deeply grateful to His Excellency for agreeing to serve as Patron and Founding Chairman of the King Oyo Memorial Foundation. Your decision to stand with us again as we preserve and build his legacy gives our family great encouragement.”
What major legacy projects are launched under King Oyo Memorial Foundation?
To ensure the impact of King Oyo extends beyond political controversies, Queen Mother Best Kemigisa alongside her daughter, Princess Ruth Nsemere Komuntale Farquharson Akiiki, outlined four major development initiatives to be executed through the foundation:
| Project Name | Location & Scope | Primary Impact & Community Function |
| The King Oyo Tooro Museum | Fort Portal City | Permanent exhibition housing personal belongings, royal artifacts, and traditional Tooro historical archives to boost tourism. |
| The King Oyo International Stadium | Fort Portal (50 Acres) | Development of a regional sporting complex on 50 acres of land donated by King Oyo to nurture youth athletic talent. |
| King Oyo Research & Teaching Hospital | Tooro Sub-Region | Modern medical facility featuring dedicated Cancer and HIV Research Centres to deliver specialized clinical care. |
| King Oyo Model Farm at Bugaaki | Bugaaki, Kyenjojo | Expansion of the private royal farm into a regional hub for modern agricultural training, agribusiness, and youth outreach. |
What is the full text breakdown of the statement issued by Queen Mother Best Kemigisa?
The public declaration issued by Her Royal Highness Best Kemigisa provides a comprehensive account of maternal grief, spiritual resilience, and institutional vision following the passing of the 34-year-old monarch:
1. The Personal Grief of a Mother
Kemigisa opens her address by stripping away royal titles to speak directly as a grieving parent who watched her three-year-old toddler grow into a national leader:
“I speak to you today first and foremost as a mother. I have lost my only son. There are no words that can adequately explain the pain of a mother burying her child. King Oyo was my son before he was my King. I held him as a little boy, watched him grow, watched him carry responsibilities far greater than his age, and watched him become a man, a leader, and an Omukama loved far beyond the borders of Tooro. Today, my heart remains broken.”
2. Gratitude to Mourners and the Public
The Queen Mother thanked thousands of Ugandans who lined the streets from Entebbe International Airport to Fort Portal City, attended the nine-day vigil at Karuziika Palace, and sent messages of condolence from across the globe:
“Every day I wake up remembering that my son is gone. And every day, the love you have shown our family gives me a little more strength to face another day… You stood by me when I could hardly carry myself.”
3. Spiritual Reconciliation and Refusal of Bitterness
Concluding her declaration, Kemigisa urged supporters of King Oyo to remain peaceful and avoid escalating legal or physical conflicts over the throne, reaffirming her trust in divine justice:
“To those who stood with King Oyo and supported the wishes that King Oyo expressed in his Will: Please, be at peace. My son served a living God… In God time, everyone will receive what He has predestined for them. For that reason, we will not allow fear, anger, or disappointment to define the future. We will continue to seek peace, to respect lawful processes, and to trust God with what is beyond our hands.”
Addressing parents across the world, she offered a final personal warning on the fragility of human existence:
“Hold your children close. Love them. Listen to them. Pray for them. Tell them what they mean to you while you can. Life can change in a moment. I never imagined that I would one day have to stand before the world and speak about my only son in the past tense. I would give anything for one more conversation, one more laugh, one more ordinary day with him.”
With the launch of the King Oyo Memorial Foundation under the chairmanship of President Museveni, Queen Mother Best Kemigisa and Princess Ruth Komuntale have signaled that while the battle over the throne of Tooro continues under King Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, the personal legacy, testamentary wishes, and biological line of King Oyo will be aggressively preserved for future generations.
