By Spy Uganda
Fort Portal-The controversy surrounding the alleged son of the late Omukama Rukirabasaija Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV has taken a dramatic cultural turn, with claims that the Queen Mother, Best Kemigisa, has declined to hand over the alleged child for a traditional test intended to establish his connection to the late King.
The development comes amid an increasingly intense debate over the identity of the person who should be recognised as Oyo’s heir following his death.
According to sources familiar with discussions within the Tooro royal establishment, some cultural figures have proposed subjecting the alleged child to what they describe as an ancient form of “cultural DNA testing”, a traditional ritual involving nine coffee beans and the grave of the deceased father.
Under the traditional account, a person whose claim of biological descent was genuine would allegedly survive the ritual, while an impostor would suffer a supernatural consequence after placing the nine coffee beans on the grave.
The practice, according to those familiar with the tradition, was regarded as a serious spiritual means of settling questions of lineage before modern scientific DNA testing became available.
Unlike a modern DNA test, which scientifically compares genetic material, the traditional practice was based on cultural and spiritual beliefs about ancestry, lineage and the relationship between the living and the dead.
Sources claim that some individuals involved in the current succession discussions want the alleged child taken to Oyo’s grave to undertake the ritual.
However, the sources allege that Queen Mother Best Kemigisa has instead kept the child away, preventing the proposed cultural test from taking place.
The claims could not independently be verified by TheSpy.
Claims of a different lineage
The controversy has also generated another claim concerning the child’s alleged ancestry.
Some sources have alleged that the child could instead be a grandchild of Mishaki Kawamara, a brother to Queen Mother Best Kemigisa and father to Ronnie Kawamara, the proprietor of an online shopping platform, Jumia Foods.
Kawamara is former Resident District Commissioner and currently serves as presidential adviser to president Museveni.
TheSpy has, however, not independently confirmed this claim, and it remains part of the competing narratives surrounding the child’s identity.
Some individuals involved in the unfolding controversy have also claimed that the baby was previously “confirmed” not to be Oyo’s biological child.
However, TheSpy has not independently established the existence or authenticity of any scientific DNA report confirming or disproving the child’s paternity.
The distinction is important because cultural claims, allegations from competing royal factions and scientifically conducted DNA testing are different matters.
For now, the whereabouts and identity of the alleged heir remain at the centre of the succession controversy, as cultural leaders and members of the Babiito clan continue efforts to establish who should occupy the Tooro throne.
The latest development adds another layer to a succession process that has already attracted intense public interest, with questions surrounding lineage, royal tradition and the role of modern scientific evidence increasingly taking centre stage.
Watch the space because our Spy has been at and remains at the palace till Saturday…
