Ugandan journalist Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma has begun a new chapter far removed from the newsroom after being crowned King of Tooro, taking the throne following the death of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV in a succession process that has sparked a dispute within the royal family.
Kijanangoma, 56, is well known in Uganda for his more than 20 years in broadcasting, during which he worked as an anchor and editor at the country's state broadcaster. He will now serve as King Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma Nyabongo I, leading one of Uganda's four officially recognised historical kingdoms.
His installation was marked by a series of traditional ceremonies that began at midnight.
Before reaching the official Karuziika royal palace for his coronation, Kijanangoma took part in several rituals and walked about 4km to the palace.
Tooro Kingdom Information Minister Charles Mwanguhya told the BBC Focus on Africa podcast that a mock fight was to be held after the new king was crowned as a symbol of the difficulties that come with kingship.
The king would then receive blessings from members of the Babiito clan, the royal family from which Tooro's monarchs are chosen.
The celebrations followed a closely watched succession process that has left some members of the royal family unhappy.
King Oyo died last month at the age of 34 after battling cancer. He had been on the Tooro throne since 1995, when he became king at just three years old following the death of his father.
His accession made him the world's youngest monarch at the time, and he went on to rule Tooro for 31 years.
Following his death, members of the royal family said Oyo had left behind a young son and a will stating that the child should succeed him.
However, the child has never been publicly presented and was not accepted by the 21-member Babiito clan committee that is responsible for choosing the king.
The late monarch was never publicly married, and details about his reported wife and son have remained limited.
Queen Best Kemigisa, Oyo's mother, opposed the decision to select Kijanangoma and argued that the wishes contained in her son's will should have been followed.
The succession committee maintained that it had followed the customs and traditions of the Tooro Kingdom when choosing the new monarch.
The disagreement has since placed Kijanangoma at the centre of a royal dispute involving Kemigisa and members of her family.
Kemigisa referred to the selection as the "announcement of a second king" being "made after the will of King Oyo was read to members of the royal family".
"As a mother, that was extraordinarily painful," she said, describing celebrations for the next king taking place "only metres from where my son's body lay".
The queen also said Oyo's son had been in Texas and was expected to return to Uganda, but that the return did not happen because of what she described as a "tense and polarised succession dispute".
"No child should be placed in circumstances where returning to his father's homeland could mean being drawn into hostility and conflict," Kemigisa asserted in a post on X.
The Tooro Kingdom has disputed the claim that Oyo left a son who could take over the throne.
Mwanguhya said the child had not been publicly presented, adding that this had contributed to growing acceptance that Oyo had not left a son who could be recognised as his successor.
According to the Tooro official, the succession represented a shift to another branch of the ruling family.
"the crown has moved to a different line within the ruling clan," Mwanguhya told the BBC.
For Kijanangoma, the link to the royal family is direct. He and the late King Oyo were cousins, with both tracing their ancestry to King George David Matthew Kamurasi Rukidi III, the 11th Omukama of Tooro who ruled between 1928 and 1965.
A king must come from the Babiito clan and specifically from the lineage of Rukidi III, according to sources at the royal palace.
Kijanangoma was one of several people considered for the position.
Prince George Desmond Kamurasi was also considered, but the South East Dons football captain and goalkeeper declined the opportunity because of other responsibilities, according to the succession committee.
Once he was formally selected, Kijanangoma called for cooperation between the palace and the people of Tooro.
He promised that the palace would remain open to the public and said unity and development would be among his priorities.
"I ask you for one thing - they have given me this title as king but I cannot work alone, I have to work with you," he said.
Although Uganda's traditional kings have no formal political powers, they remain influential cultural figures and command strong loyalty in the areas under their leadership.
Tooro is one of four main historical kingdoms officially recognised in Uganda. The biggest and most prominent is Buganda, which covers much of central Uganda, including Kampala.
The traditional kingdoms were abolished in 1967 but were restored by Museveni's government in the early 1990s.
The government said the move was intended to strengthen cultural pride and promote national unity. It has also been interpreted as an attempt to appease different communities and build political support.
During the Tooro succession dispute, the government supported the Babiito committee's selection of Kijanangoma.
Attorney General Sam Mayanja said the kingdom could proceed with the coronation because there had been no formal complaint against the new king.
The government announced the date of the coronation, which was attended by President Yoweri Museveni.
Museveni's son and military chief, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, also publicly expressed support for Kijanangoma, posting on X: "Long may he reign".
The new king's royal roots are also reflected in his name.
His father, who was the first to carry the Kijanangoma name, was born in the same year Rukidi III ascended to the throne. The king gave him the name, which means the "one who comes with the royal drum".
Decades later, that name has become closely linked to the Tooro throne as his son assumes the kingship.
Kijanangoma was born in 1970 and spent his childhood at the family's home in Kidukuru village in Fort Portal, about 300km from Kampala.
He later moved away to pursue higher education and graduated with a mass communication degree from Makerere University in 1999.
His broadcasting career stretched for more than two decades and included work in Uganda and neighbouring Rwanda. At home, he worked with the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation.
His years as a journalist gave him extensive experience working with the public, meeting leaders and following national affairs.
After being named king, he said he intended to draw on the relationships he had built during his 21 years in journalism "to get good things for our people".
His mother, Assimwe Yusta Kijanangoma, said her son had been brought up with strong traditional values and was ready for the demands of his new position.
She recalled using discipline and traditional teachings while raising him.
"I really raised him with the teachings of the old kingdom of a cane and instructions and scolding. I laugh with him, and other times I scold him," she told the BBC.
She added: "Eddy is well-mannered, he does not fight, or shout, even when wronged, he says a few words and does not go so much into it."
She said she was happy to see her son become king but also had mixed emotions because he was taking over the throne after the death of what she called a "great man".