A TV journalist has been crowned King of a traditional monarchy in Uganda, weeks after the death of its "Boy King" triggered grief and a succession dispute.
Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, who has adopted the regnal name Edward Rukidi Nyabongo, was formally unveiled to his followers on Tuesday in Fort Portal, a remote town in western Uganda near the Congo border.
From broadcaster to monarch
The new king is a prince who had long worked as a broadcaster and editor with Uganda Broadcasting Corp. He performed rituals overnight before being ushered into the palace and presented to his followers.
Nyabongo was not high in the line of succession, but elders of the kingdom's ruling clan, the Babiito, selected him from a pool of eligible princes after King Oyo Nyimba's death in August. King Oyo Nyimba died from cancer at the age of 34.
Succession and ceremony
The coronation was witnessed by thousands in person and on televised broadcasts. Speaking at the event, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni urged traditional leaders to promote local languages.
In his speech, Nyabongo pledged to be a unifying figure for his people, stating that "royal descent [wasn't] as an entitlement; it was presented to me as a duty to prepare for".
Historical context
Traditional kingdoms in Uganda were banned in the 1960s by a republican president who said he wanted to unify the country. The ban came after Uganda's independence from British colonial rule, and the kingdoms were restored in 1993.
