Ugandan kingdom picks new monarch to succeed King Oyo Nyimba

A traditional Ugandan kingdom selected a television news anchor on Wednesday to succeed King Oyo Nyimba, who died last month aged 34 after becoming the world's youngest reigning monarch when he took the throne at age 3.



Oyo Nyimba died on August 27 in the United States, where he was receiving treatment for cancer. While Uganda is a constitutional republic, Oyo Nyimba ruled Tooro in western Uganda, one of the former British colony's ancient kingdoms, which wields enormous cultural and social influence.



At a press conference in the kingdom's capital of Fort Portal, the royal clan's succession committee announced it chose Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a news anchor and editor at the state-run broadcaster UBC, as monarch.



Oyo Nyimba, a U.N. goodwill ambassador who championed the fight against HIV and AIDS, became the youngest reigning monarch in 1995, according to Guinness World Records.



A video of his coronation shows a little boy sitting in his chair playing with a toy, his small body almost disappearing underneath the royal crown and robes.