George Desmond Kamurasi, a 36-year-old goalkeeper for South East Dons, a team in the ninth tier of English football, may abandon his career in football to become king of the Kingdom of Tooro in Uganda. A council responsible for succession, according to local media, would have chosen Kamurasi as a candidate to take the throne following the death of his cousin, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV. The goalkeeper has already left England and traveled to Uganda to attend his cousin's funeral.
Oyo died last week in the United States, at age 34, from cancer. He had occupied the throne since 1995, when he was only three years old, making him one of the youngest monarchs in the world. The sudden passing opened the succession in the Ugandan traditional kingdom.
By Tooro tradition, the successor to the throne is chosen among members of the royal family, and Kamurasi, who is the late king's cousin, meets the genealogical criteria for succession. The amateur goalkeeper now faces the possibility of completely setting aside his sports career in England to assume the responsibilities of king in Uganda.
