George Desmond Kamurasi, a goalkeeper for the SE Dons, a non-league football team in Bexleyheath, London, has been selected as the new King of the Tooro Kingdom in Uganda. The selection was made by a 21-member committee following the death of the previous king, Kamurasi's cousin, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who passed away on August 27 while receiving treatment for cancer in the United States.
King Oyo became the youngest reigning monarch of the Tooro Kingdom, which has a population of approximately 800,000, when he ascended to the throne at the age of three in 1995. Following the king's death, Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni and Chief of Defence Forces General Muhoozi Kainerugaba reportedly endorsed Kamurasi's selection by the Royal Succession Committee.
Kamurasi, 36, expressed uncertainty about his ability to fulfill the role of king and is reportedly hesitant to leave the UK to assume the throne. The selection has elicited mixed reactions in Uganda, with some expressing excitement about Kamurasi's potential leadership while others question whether a British national should lead the kingdom.
A formal declaration of Kamurasi as king is expected to occur as early as next week. The body of the late King Oyo arrived in Uganda at Entebbe International Airport on September 8, ahead of the burial scheduled for September 12. President Museveni was present to receive the casket, which was draped in both the Ugandan and Tooro Kingdom flags, and laid a wreath before it was transported by military helicopter to the kingdom for official ceremonies.
However, Kamurasi may miss the funeral due to a football fixture scheduled for the same day. The SE Dons compete in the ninth division of English football.