A non-league goalkeeper from south-east London has been unexpectedly selected to become the new King of Tooro following the death of his cousin.
George Desmond Kamurasi, who plays for and captains SE Dons in Bexleyheath, was chosen to lead the Ugandan kingdom by its 21-member Royal Succession Committee.
The 36-year-old British national is now in line to exchange English grassroots football for a throne governing a traditional kingdom with an estimated population of 800,000.
Kamurasi’s remarkable selection follows the death of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who passed away in the United States on August 27 while receiving specialist treatment for cancer.
King Oyo had made history when he ascended to the Tooro throne at the age of three in 1995, becoming the world’s youngest reigning monarch.
His cousin has now been selected as his successor following deliberations among senior representatives of the kingdom.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the country’s Chief of Defence Forces, have reportedly endorsed the committee’s decision.
However, Kamurasi is understood to have reservations about accepting the extraordinary responsibility.
A non-league goalkeeper from south-east London has been unexpectedly selected to become the new King of Tooro following the death of his cousin
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INSTAGRAM/George Desmond Kamurasi
The goalkeeper currently lives in Britain with his wife and son and is reportedly reluctant to uproot his family and permanently leave the United Kingdom.
His prospective appointment has also divided opinion in Uganda.
Some supporters believe Kamurasi’s outspoken personality and leadership experience could bring fresh energy to the monarchy.
Others have questioned whether a British national who has built his life thousands of miles away should be allowed to lead the historic kingdom.
Despite those concerns, a formal declaration confirming Tooro’s new king could reportedly be made as early as next week.
King Oyo’s body was repatriated to Uganda on Friday, arriving at Entebbe International Airport ahead of his scheduled burial on September 12.
Museveni was among a small delegation of senior figures who gathered at the airport to receive the late monarch’s casket.
The president draped the coffin in the flags of Uganda and the Tooro Kingdom before laying a wreath and bowing in tribute.
The casket was subsequently transported by military helicopter to the kingdom ahead of the formal funeral ceremonies.
Yet Kamurasi could reportedly miss his cousin’s burial because of a remarkable clash with his existing football commitments in England.
SE Dons are scheduled to play on the same day, potentially leaving their captain with an extraordinary choice between representing his team and attending the royal funeral.
The London club compete in the ninth tier of the English football pyramid and have built a significant profile beyond the traditional non-league circuit.
Kamurasi’s role as goalkeeper and captain means he is already accustomed to commanding from the back and organising those around him.
Those qualities could soon be required on an entirely different scale if he formally accepts the Tooro throne.
