London-based goalkeeper chosen as next king of Uganda’s Tooro people

George Kamurasi, a 36-year-old goalkeeper playing in the ninth tier of English football, has been selected as the next king of Uganda’s Tooro people.

A committee chose Kamurasi to succeed his late cousin, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV. King Oyo, who became monarch at the age of three in 1995, died while receiving cancer treatment, leaving the Tooro Kingdom in a period of transition. His funeral is scheduled for this weekend.

Kamurasi, popularly known as “Big G”, is a British national and captains SE Dons in the Southern Counties East League Premier Division in southeast London. He is known at the club for his commanding presence, with video footage showing him delivering fiery team talks to teammates.

Despite being selected for the royal position, Kamurasi is reportedly reluctant to leave London, where he lives with his wife and son. He also faces the possibility of missing the late king’s funeral because it clashes with a cup fixture involving SE Dons.

The choice has drawn mixed reactions in Uganda. Some people have welcomed Kamurasi’s “no-nonsense” personality, while others have questioned whether someone raised in the United Kingdom can adequately represent the Tooro people. Kamurasi comes from a prominent royal family. His grandfather, King George Rukidi III, welcomed Queen Elizabeth during her 1954 visit to Uganda. He now faces a decision between continuing his London life and football career or accepting his family’s royal responsibility in Uganda.