By Andrew Irumba
Fort Portal– Beginning yesterday Wednesday afternoon, security around Omukama Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I has been reinforced ahead of his planned coronation this September 29th 2026, with Special Forces Command (SFC) commandos taking over duties previously handled by the Police’s Joint Anti-Terrorism (JAT) unit, our ever alert Spy has learnt.
The reported security changes come as preparations gather pace for the three-day ceremony scheduled for September 27–29, 2026, marking the formal installation of Nyabongo 1 as new Omukama of Tooro taking over from Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi 1V.
According to the organizing committee, the security review was ordered through the office of Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, following a request to strengthen protection around the incoming king and key members of his family including his mother who resided in Kidukuru.
SFC commandos were reportedly deployed on Wednesday afternoon, replacing JAT officers who had been providing security since Nyabongo was publicly announced by the Musuuga last week.
The deployment comes at a particularly sensitive stage of preparations, with the kingdom organising a series of traditional rites that will precede the coronation.
The traditional battle before the coronation between Musuuga and Edward
Organisers say the ceremony will begin with a Kasiki, a traditional vigil, on September 27.
In the early hours of September 28, the incoming Omukama is expected to participate in a traditional mock battle involving the Musuuga, Charles Kamurasi.
According to Muzei Isaiah Kalya, one of the figures involved in the preparations, the ritual involves the Musuuga and his supporters symbolically invading the king’s palace.
The Omukama is expected to summon his defenders and repel the attack.
“The King must win the war in order to be installed the following day,” Kalya said, describing the symbolism behind the ceremony.
The ritual is understood by organisers as a dramatisation of the king’s ability to defend the kingdom and assert his authority before the formal installation.
It is a traditional performance rather than an actual armed confrontation.
Coronation preparations move to Karuzika
Meanwhile, preparations for the Empaango, or coronation, have moved into high gear at the Karuzika Palace in Fort Portal.
A series of planning meetings began on Wednesday, bringing together members of the organising committee and figures associated with the Tooro Kingdom administration.
Among those taking a prominent role is Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki, who previously served in the administration of the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
Former Fort Portal City MP Alex Ruhunda is also among those participating in preparations, alongside other cultural and community leaders.
Schools in Fort Portal have additionally been enlisted to help with preparations at the palace.
Fort Portal Secondary School was among the institutions assigned cleaning duties on Wednesday, carrying out general cleaning at the Karuzika as part of a rotating programme.
Omukam ma Edward Rukidi Nyabongo 1 comes after the end of the reign of Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who became king as a child and went on to occupy the Tooro throne for decades.
The Tooro monarchy is one of Uganda’s traditional institutions. The kingdom is rooted in the history of the Tooro people of western Uganda and has its cultural seat in Fort Portal, Kabarole District.
The institution was restored in Uganda in the 1993 alongside other traditional kingdoms, although the Constitution limits traditional leaders primarily to cultural functions rather than political government.
For Nyabongo, the coronation therefore carries both cultural and historical significance. The Empaango is intended to publicly formalise his position within the kingdom and bring together royal officials, cultural leaders, religious figures, local communities and invited dignitaries.
The traditional rituals surrounding the installation are particularly important because they connect the modern institution to Tooro’s historical customs of kingship.
The heightened security and increasingly visible palace preparations point to the scale of the ceremony expected in Fort Portal at the end of September.
Beyond the formal coronation on September 29, organisers are preparing traditional activities designed to introduce the new Omukama to his subjects and reinforce the cultural institutions surrounding the throne.
The reported deployment of SFC personnel adds a national security dimension to an otherwise largely cultural event, although the precise operational details of the new security arrangement have not been publicly set out in the material available for this report.
- September 27: Kasiki
- September 28: Traditional mock battle involving the Omukama and Musuuga
- September 29: Empaango – formal coronation/installation of Omukama Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I.
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