Tooro King’s Elder Brother Dies After Battle with Cancer.

David died at the Uganda Cancer Institute in Mulago, where he had been receiving treatment for throat cancer, according to Vincent Mugume, spokesperson for the Tooro Kingdom.

His death comes just days after the burial of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who died in the United States on August 27 and was buried at the Karambi Royal Tombs on September 12. Edward Kijanangoma was subsequently declared the new King of Tooro by the Babiito clan succession authorities.

David had been battling stage-three throat cancer for more than a year. In April, his family appealed to the public for financial assistance after his condition deteriorated and he required specialised treatment in India. 

His family said he needed about 700 million Ugandan shillingsfor treatment in India after exhausting his personal resources on treatment in Uganda. He had received chemotherapy at Nakasero Hospital and the Uganda Cancer Institute.

David was a prominent and sometimes controversial figure within the Tooro royal family. In 2015, he openly challenged the leadership of the late King Oyo, who was his cousin, accusing him of failing to properly fulfil his responsibilities as king. 

David subsequently declared himself the new King of Tooro, triggering tensions within the royal family and kingdom. His challenge to Oyo's reign later became one of the notable episodes in the kingdom's recent history.

David was also a grandson of the late King Sir George David Rukidi III. 

His death adds another loss to a royal family that has faced a turbulent period following Oyo's death and the subsequent dispute over his succession. The succession controversy intensified after claims that Oyo had left behind a son who should inherit the throne, while the Babiito clan succession committee selected Edward Kijanangoma as his successor.

The Tooro royal family is expected to provide further details about David Kijanangoma's funeral arrangements.