By: News Editor

The remains of the late Tooro King, Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, have arrived in Uganda, setting in motion the official funeral programme for the 34-year-old monarch.

The King’s body arrived at Entebbe International Airport on Friday, September 4, where President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni was present to receive the remains and pay his last respects.

The arrival marks the beginning of a nine-day period of official mourning that will culminate in the burial of King Oyo at the Karambi Royal Tombs in Fort Portal on September 12.

King Oyo died in the United States on August 27 after a period of medical treatment. He had ruled Tooro Kingdom for almost 31 years after ascending to the throne at the age of three in 1995.

Ahead of the arrival, Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki said bringing the King home for a dignified farewell had become the kingdom’s immediate priority.

“At this solemn moment, there can be no greater priority for the Kingdom than bringing our King home and laying him to rest with the dignity, honour and respect befitting His Majesty,” Rwomiire said.

The body is expected to be airlifted from Entebbe to Kyegegwa, from where it will be transported by road to Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal.

Unlike an earlier plan that would have taken the body directly to the palace, the revised programme allows residents along the route to witness the King’s final journey.

Fr Charles Oyo, head of communications under the Office of Omujwera Musuuga, said the decision was intended to give Tooro subjects an opportunity to bid farewell to their King.

“Many people have requested an opportunity to bid farewell to the King,” Fr Charles said.

He explained that the procession would move slowly through populated areas but would not make numerous stops.

“The carriage is not going to stop in so many places, but will be moving at a slow pace so that people can wave farewell,” he said.

Fr Charles also appealed to mourners expected to gather along the route to remain peaceful and orderly.

“We expect a big number of people, and we appeal to them to keep calm, but also demonstrate who we are as the people of Tooro; always calm and friendly,” he said.

From Kyegegwa, the procession is expected to pass through parts of Kyegegwa, Kyenjojo and Kabarole before entering Fort Portal City and proceeding to Karuziika Palace.

At the palace, the body will be received by Omusuuga Charles Kamurasi, the head of the Babiito royal family, who is expected to oversee the traditional rituals associated with the arrival of the King’s remains.

Kamurasi said the official nine-day mourning period would begin once the body reaches the kingdom.

“The day the body arrives here, that is when we will begin official counting,” Kamurasi said.

The casket will lie in state at Karuziika Palace during the mourning period, with members of the public expected to have opportunities to pay their respects.

The funeral programme will run until September 12, when King Oyo will be buried at the Karambi Royal Tombs.

The burial date carries particular significance because it falls exactly 31 years after King Oyo was crowned Omukama of Tooro on September 12, 1995.

His death has attracted tributes from across Uganda, with leaders describing him as a monarch who promoted Tooro’s cultural heritage while also engaging in initiatives focused on youth, tourism, environmental conservation and development.

As the remains begin the final journey to Tooro, thousands of subjects and mourners are expected to line the route to Fort Portal to pay their final respects to a monarch who spent nearly his entire life on the throne.