England-based goalkeeper rejects chance to rule Tooro Kingdom in Uganda

Nii Ayitey Brown 14:40 - 11 September 2026

Non-league goalkeeper George Desmond Kamurasi has turned down the chance to be a new king in Uganda. Facebook

England-based goalkeeper George Desmond Kamurasi has turned down the chance to become king of Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom after initially being selected as the preferred successor.

George Desmond Kamurasi has rejected the chance to become the next King of Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom.
The SE Dons goalkeeper said he could not take the role because of his other responsibilities, according to the succession committee.
Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma was subsequently selected, although his appointment is being challenged by members of King Oyo’s immediate family.

England-based goalkeeper George Desmond Kamurasi has turned down the chance to become the next King of Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom, according to reports from ESPN.

George Desmond Kamurasi, the captain and goalkeeper of SE Dons

Kamurasi, 36, who captains and plays for ninth-tier English club SE Dons, was selected as the committee’s first choice to succeed his late cousin, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.

However, Kamurasi has declined the position because of other responsibilities according to Fr Charles Oyo, a member of the 21-person succession committee.

“The first one said, ‘No, I have responsibilities, and I am not able to be the king,’” Kamurasi said.

Reports indicate that after Kamurasi’s decision, the committee selected Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a news anchor and editor with Uganda Broadcasting Corporation (UBC), as the new monarch.

Uganda's Tooro Kingdom

Kamurasi had emerged as the preferred candidate after the death of King Oyo on August 27, 2026, aged 34. Oyo became king in 1995 at just three years old and was recognised as the world’s youngest reigning monarch at the time.

Kamurasi plays for SE Dons, a south-east London club competing in the lower levels of English football. His decision comes as the Tooro Kingdom faces a dispute over who should succeed King Oyo.

Also, the royal succession committee's choice of Prince Kijanangoma has been challenged by Oyo’s mother and sister, who say the late king left a will identifying a biological son as his heir. Tooro is one of Uganda’s traditional kingdoms.