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Tooro-A section of the Tooro community in Kampala and Fort Portal has launched a fundraising campaign aimed at collecting Shs2 million to refund the contribution reportedly extended by Tooro Kingdom towards the medical treatment of Prince David Kiijanangoma, who is currently seeking approximately Shs500 million for specialized cancer treatment in India.
The campaign, spearheaded by outspoken Pan-African activist Andrew Irumba Katusabe, who also serves as the official personal assistant and spokesperson to Prince David Kiijanangoma, has already triggered intense debate among Batooro both within Uganda and the diaspora.
The controversy emerged after reports indicated that the whole Tooro King His Majesty Dr.Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV allegedly contributed Shs1 million towards the prince’s treatment, while another Shs1 million was reportedly added by Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki, bringing the total contribution to meagre Shs2 million.
Many supporters of Prince Kiijanangoma described the contribution as “a mockery” considering the historical prestige, properties and influence associated with the Tooro Kingdom.
Speaking during a community mobilization appeal, Irumba announced that Batooro had resolved to collectively raise Shs2 million and refund it to the kingdom as a symbolic protest.
“I had wanted to refund the Shs2 million alone, but fellow Batooro like Joram Bintamanya (Fort Portal’s Mayor) and Friday Kagoro, a renowned city lawyer from Bunyangabuwith Fred Muwema Co.Advicates advised that we should instead collect it together as a community. We want to show solidarity with Prince Kiijanangoma and demonstrate that the people of Tooro can stand with one of their own in difficult times,” Irumba reportedly said.
He further explained that any money collected beyond the Shs2 million refund would directly support the prince’s treatment abroad.
Mixed Reactions Among Batooro
The development has since sharply divided opinion within Tooro.
Some subjects defended the kingdom leadership, arguing that assistance should not merely be judged financially, while others questioned how one of Uganda’s oldest and historically wealthy monarchies could allegedly contribute such an amount towards the treatment of a senior royal family member battling with cancer. Kiijanangoma is a crown prince 👑, meaning he has all the credentials of being a king of Tooro just like Oyo does.
Critics pointed to the kingdom’s cultural assets, land holdings, commercial properties and annual government funding as justification for expecting a more substantial intervention.
Others cautioned against escalating internal royal disagreements during a sensitive health crisis.
Who Is Prince David Kiijanangoma?
Prince David Kiijanangoma is a senior prince within the Babiito dynasty and a cousin brother to King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV. Kiijanangoma belongs to a royal lineage that has historically played influential roles within Tooro Kingdom affairs.
Over the years, Prince Kiijanangoma has repeatedly emerged as a vocal critic of what some royalists describe as governance failures and administrative weaknesses within the kingdom establishment.
His activism is deeply tied to a long-standing history of political contestation inside the Tooro royal family.
The Kiijanangoma Family’s Historical Sacrifice
The Kiijanangoma family remains deeply remembered in Tooro’s modern political history, particularly due to the violent palace conflicts that rocked the kingdom during the late 1990s.
In 1999, Happy Kiijanangoma, elder brother to David Kiijanangoma, was shot dead near Makerere University main gate alongside two children of the late Professor Kajabago Karusoke during one of the most turbulent periods in Tooro Kingdom politics.
At the time, Happy Kiijanangoma had reportedly aligned himself with forces demanding more accountable leadership and transparency within the kingdom administration.
The assassination was linked to the fierce palace power struggles involving the then-powerful Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister John Sanyu Katuramu.
Katuramu was later prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment over the murder case, although the sentence was later reduced to 20 years, which he completed before recently regaining freedom.
The killing of Happy Kiijanangoma remains one of the darkest and most painful chapters in Tooro Kingdom’s contemporary history.
Following the deaths of both his father and elder brother, Prince David Kiijanangoma later emerged as another outspoken voice challenging the kingdom administration under King Oyo’s reign, with some of his supporters accusing the palace establishment of weak leadership and poor governance.
The Rich History Of Tooro Kingdom
Tooro Kingdom remains one of Uganda’s oldest and most culturally influential monarchies.
The kingdom was founded around 1830 by Prince Kaboyo Olimi I Kasunsunkwanzi, a son of Omukama Kyebambe III of the Bunyoro-Kitara Empire.
Prince (Omukama) Kaboyo broke away from Bunyoro following disputes over succession and governance, eventually establishing an independent kingdom in the Tooro region.
Since then, Tooro has been ruled by several monarchs who shaped western Uganda politically, culturally and economically.
Historical Kings Of Tooro Include:
Kaboyo Olimi I (1830–1865)Founder of Tooro Kingdom and son of Omukama Kyebambe III of Bunyoro-Kitara.
Rukidi I Kasunga Kyebambe (1865–1871)Strengthened the kingdom’s authority after its formative years.
Kato Rukidi I (1871–1891)Ruled during a period marked by regional instability.
Kasagama Kyebambe III (1891–1928)One of Tooro’s most celebrated kings who modernized the kingdom and built relations with British colonial administrators.
Daudi Kyebambe Kasagama II (1928–1965)Oversaw the kingdom during Uganda’s transition toward independence.
Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III (1965–1995)Ruled during the politically difficult era when kingdoms were abolished by Milton Obote in 1967 before restoration in 1993.
King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV (1995–Present)Crowned at the age of three, becoming one of the world’s youngest monarchs at the time.
Under King Oyo’s reign, critics continue to question certain governance and administrative decisions within the institution.
Tooro Kingdom’s Wealth And Assets
Historically, Tooro Kingdom has been associated with extensive cultural and economic assets across western Uganda.
These include palace estates, kingdom administrative properties, ranches, commercial buildings, tourism sites and cultural heritage assets concentrated around Fort Portal City and neighboring districts.
The institution also receives approximately shs 46m annual government financial support allocated to officially recognized cultural institutions in Uganda.
Because of this historical standing, critics argue that the kingdom should play a larger role in supporting royal family members during serious health emergencies.
Fundraising Campaign Gains Momentum
Meanwhile, fundraising efforts for Prince Kiijanangoma’s cancer treatment continue to intensify across Kampala, Fort Portal and diaspora communities abroad.
Community mobilizers insist that despite the controversy surrounding the kingdom’s contribution, the primary objective remains saving the prince’s life.
“This is beyond palace politics. The prince needs urgent treatment, and the community has decided to stand with him,” one mobilizer said during the fundraising campaign.
, https://www.spyuganda.com/tooro-community-launches-shs2m-campaign-to-refund-king-oyos-contribution-to-ailing-prince-kiijanangoma/
