Tooro Queen Mother Best Kemigisa is smiling all the way after the High Court in Fort Portal handed her a massive legal victory, completely shutting down resistance from sections of the Babiito clan over the property of the late Omukama Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III.
In a decisive ruling delivered on November 27, 2025, Justice Vincent Emmy Mugabo ruled that the disputed property belongs to the late king personally and not to the Tooro Kingdom, firmly confirming Queen Mother Kemigisa as the lawful administrator of her husband’s estate.
Court: “This matter is settled”.
The case arose after the Queen Mother asked court to renew her Letters of Administration, first issued in 1999, and sought permission to submit estate records late.
Clan members tried to block the move, accusing her of mismanaging and secretly selling estate property.
Justice Mugabo ruled that the objectors had no legal standing, stating clearly that only beneficiaries or administrators can raise objections in succession matters.
“The objectors are neither beneficiaries nor administrators. Their objection collapses in law,” the judge ruled.
Property is private, not kingdom land
In one of the strongest findings, the court upheld an earlier ruling by Justice J.B.A. Katutsi, confirming that:
The properties were privately owned by Omukama Kaboyo III
They were not held in trust for Tooro Kingdom
Official kingdom estates were abolished in 1966
Land registered under “Olimi III” did not become royal property.
The judge declared the matter res judicata, meaning it cannot be reopened again.
Customary arguments rejected.
Clan claims that Tooro custom bars a Queen Mother from administering a king’s estate were thrown out.
Court ruled that customary law cannot override national succession law, especially where private property is concerned. No valid custom was proven to stop a widow from managing her late husband’s estate.
The court renewed Queen Mother Kemigisa’s Letters of Administration for two more years, ordering her to:
File an inventory within six months
Court also noted that all lawful beneficiaries, including King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, had consented to the renewal.
Inside royal circles, the ruling is being described as a total legal knockout, ending years of palace drama, courtroom battles, and power struggles.
With the law firmly on her side, Queen Mother Best Kemigisa stands fully vindicated victorious in court, protected by law, and back in full control of the late king’s estate.
For now, the Queen Mother reigns unshaken, undefeated, and untouchable.