Tooro Queen Mother Best Kemigisa has issued an emotional public statement alleging that the royal family is under house arrest at the kingdom palace, after royal guards were withdrawn without notice and Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) troops deployed around the compound just days before the burial of her son, the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.

In a letter dated September 10, 2026, and shared on her X account, Kemigisa described the developments as a profound violation of the family’s dignity during a period of deep mourning.

King Oyo, who ascended the throne as a toddler in 1995 and ruled for 31 years, died of cancer on August 27, 2026, at the age of 34. His burial is scheduled for September 12.

“Now, three days to my son’s burial, Gen. Kayanja Muhanga came to the Palace and removed the royal guards without notice, and troops were deployed around the Palace. They took the Musuuga away to a location we were not told,” she wrote.

“And now, with the security deployment around the Palace, we cannot leave or receive people freely. We are under house arrest.”

Kemigisa appealed directly to Lt Gen Kayanja Muhanga (Commander of Land Forces), UPDF leadership, and President Yoweri Museveni to restore the family’s freedom to mourn and bury the king with dignity.

“I appeal to Gen. Kayanja Muhanga, UPDF leadership, and the president to allow our family the freedom and dignity to mourn and bury King Oyo in peace,” she stated.

The statement comes amid a deepening succession dispute.

Kemigisa recounted that the late king’s will was read on the afternoon of September 9 at the palace before representatives of the royal family and government, including Maj Gen Henry Tumukunde (Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, representing the President), the Musuuga, Princess Ruth Nsemere Komuntale, and others.

She said the will clearly outlined the order of succession, and the parties agreed to reconvene the following day under Tumukunde’s chairmanship.

That same evening, however, a group of clan members held a press conference and declared their own king, she alleged, “in disregard of the Will and the agreement with the minister.”

“They could have done this anywhere else. Instead, they chose to jubilate while my son was still lying in his casket next to them. That is what has hurt us most. My daughter is devastated. Our family is grieving,” Kemigisa wrote.

She urged those contesting the throne to pause: “I also appeal to those fighting over the throne: please, there will be time for all of that. Let us grieve and bury my son King Oyo. He was a good son. He was a good King. He loved Tooro and served his people for 31 years. Most importantly, he served God. He has gone to be with the Lord. Please allow us to send him home with the dignity and respect he deserves.”

In the letter, the Queen Mother reflected on her long personal history with the kingdom.

Widowed at 26 when her husband, Omukama Patrick Olimi, died in 1995, she returned from the UK—where she was seeking treatment for their young daughter—to bury him and immediately fight for her then-three-year-old son’s right to the throne against clan members who argued he was too young and that no will named him successor.

The courts ultimately upheld Oyo’s claim.

She later lost her daughter to leukemia and noted that some of the same clan leaders present today offered no support at that time.

Under her guidance and with presidential backing, she said, Oyo rebuilt and strengthened the Tooro Kingdom over three decades.

President Museveni and the UPDF engineering brigade have been publicly credited with facilitating the dignified return of the king’s body and preparations at the royal tombs.

Kemigisa expressed gratitude for those efforts while insisting the current security measures have left the family isolated at a critical moment.

The allegations of restricted movement and the removal of royal guards have intensified public attention on the succession process in one of Uganda’s traditional kingdoms.

As of the statement’s release, no official response from the UPDF, the government, or the competing clan faction had been widely reported in immediate reaction to the Queen Mother’s claims.

King Oyo’s burial remains set for September 12 at the Karambi Royal Tombs.

The full statement, signed by Her Majesty Best Kemigisa, Queen Mother of Tooro Kingdom, has circulated widely on social media, prompting calls for dialogue, due process, and respect for the mourning period.