By Karim Were
President Yoweri Museveni has received the remains of Tooro’s late monarch at Entebbe International Airport ahead of a nine-day mourning period and burial in Fort Portal.
KAMPALA. The remains of the late Tooro King, Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, arrived at Entebbe International Airport on Friday morning, September 4, 2026, marking the beginning of the official funeral programme for the 34-year-old monarch.
The aircraft carrying the king’s body landed at approximately 10:00 a.m., where President Yoweri Museveni led government officials, members of the Tooro royal family and cultural leaders in receiving the remains.
The arrival followed the king’s death in the United States on August 27, where he had been receiving medical treatment. His death brought to an end a reign that began in 1995 when he ascended the Tooro throne at the age of three.
According to the official programme, President Museveni paid his final respects to the late monarch and laid a wreath before the casket was transferred to a waiting helicopter for transportation to Kyegegwa District.
The Queen Mother, Best Kemigisa, and selected members of the royal family were also expected to participate in the reception and subsequent journey to Tooro.
#Casket draped in national and Tooro colours
At Entebbe, Uganda Police draped the casket in both the national colours of Uganda and the colours of the Tooro Kingdom before it was wheeled through a guard of honour.
The casket was then placed at a designated point in front of the President, who paid his respects and laid a wreath in honour of the late king.
The official programme also provided for President Museveni to hold a brief meeting with the Queen Mother and five selected members of the royal family at the Presidential Lounge.
The delegation accompanying the remains was scheduled to leave Entebbe by helicopter for Kyegegwa at about 11:05 a.m. From there, the body is expected to continue by road towards Fort Portal City, the seat of the Tooro Kingdom.
The revised programme changed an earlier arrangement under which the remains were expected to arrive on Thursday. Tooro Kingdom officials later confirmed that the arrival had been moved to Friday to allow adequate preparations for the reception and funeral rites.
#Road procession through western Uganda
After the helicopter journey to Kyegegwa, the casket is expected to be placed on an open or slow-moving carrier for the road journey to Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal.
The arrangement is intended to give residents along the route an opportunity to pay their last respects to the late monarch. The procession is expected to pass through Kyegegwa, Kyenjojo and Kabarole before reaching Fort Portal.
Tooro officials have urged the public to maintain order and observe the dignity of the occasion as mourners gather along the roads.
The road journey is expected to attract large crowds from Tooro and other parts of Uganda, including cultural leaders, political figures, religious leaders and members of the public who wish to honour the king.
The body will then be received at Karuziika Palace, where the official nine-day mourning period will begin. The palace is expected to serve as the main centre for prayers, public viewing and the payment of final respects.
#Nine days of mourning at Karuziika Palace
The late king’s body is expected to lie in state at Karuziika Palace during the mourning period. Members of the public will be allowed to visit and pay their respects under arrangements to be announced by the kingdom.
The palace, which had remained closed to the public following the king’s death outside Tooro, is expected to reopen its main entrance when the body arrives.
Tooro officials have explained that the body will be taken to the king’s sitting room to enable mourners to view the remains and participate in the final farewell according to the kingdom’s traditions. <Cite ref=”turn0news5″ />
The mourning programme is expected to bring together subjects from the kingdom’s different counties and districts, as well as visitors from other parts of Uganda and abroad.
Preparations have been underway at Karuziika Palace and the Karambi Royal Tombs, also known as Amagasani, where the king is expected to be buried.
The works have included improvements to access roads, drainage, tents, sanitation facilities and other arrangements required to accommodate mourners during the nine-day period.
#Burial set for September 12
King Oyo is expected to be buried on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the Karambi Royal Tombs.
The date coincides with the anniversary of his coronation, adding historical significance to the final rites. The burial will also mark the conclusion of the official nine-day mourning period.
The funeral programme has been organised through cooperation between the Government of Uganda, Tooro Kingdom and the royal family.
The Government has said it will provide logistical, security and medical support at key venues, including Entebbe International Airport, Karuziika Palace, the royal residence in Buziga, St John’s Cathedral and the Karambi Royal Tombs.
Security agencies are expected to manage crowds and traffic along the procession route, while health teams will be available to respond to minor medical emergencies during the mourning period.
#A monarch remembered for cultural leadership
King Oyo became one of Uganda’s most recognisable cultural leaders after ascending the Tooro throne in 1995 following the death of his father, King Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III.
He was officially crowned in 2010 after reaching adulthood and went on to lead the kingdom for more than three decades.
Although Uganda’s traditional kingdoms do not exercise formal political power, they retain significant cultural and social influence. Tooro has used its institution to promote cultural identity, tourism, environmental conservation, education and youth empowerment.
King Oyo was associated with initiatives aimed at protecting the environment, promoting tourism and encouraging young people to participate in community development.
He also attracted international attention because of the unusual circumstances of his accession. At the age of three, he became one of the world’s youngest reigning monarchs, a position that made him a prominent figure in international media.
His death has generated widespread mourning across Uganda, particularly in Tooro, where the king was regarded as a symbol of cultural unity and continuity.
#Government and cultural leaders pay tribute
Parliament held a special sitting to mourn the late king and recognise his contribution to the cultural and socio-economic development of Tooro.
Legislators praised his efforts in environmental conservation, tourism promotion, youth empowerment and the preservation of cultural heritage.
President Museveni also declared a period of national mourning and directed government agencies to support the royal family and the kingdom in organising a befitting farewell.
The Government’s involvement reflects the cultural importance of the Tooro institution and the king’s role in promoting Uganda’s identity at national and international levels.
However, officials have continued to urge mourners to focus on paying tribute to the late monarch rather than turning the funeral period into a platform for political or succession disputes.
#Succession questions remain separate from funeral rites
The king’s death has also raised questions about the future leadership of the Tooro Kingdom.
Tooro Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki has said that King Oyo left an heir. However, details concerning the heir and the succession process have not been fully made public.
The Babiito royal clan is expected to guide the traditional process for determining the next monarch in accordance with Tooro customs.
Officials have asked the public to allow the royal family and clan leaders to handle succession matters through the established cultural procedures.
For now, the kingdom’s immediate priority remains the return of the late king’s body, the mourning period and the burial arrangements.
#Final farewell begins
The arrival of King Oyo’s remains at Entebbe has opened the final chapter of a reign that lasted more than 30 years.
From the airport reception to the road procession through western Uganda and the mourning rites at Karuziika Palace, the funeral programme is expected to provide the people of Tooro and other mourners with an opportunity to honour the late king.
His burial at Karambi Royal Tombs on September 12 will bring the official funeral ceremonies to a close, while the cultural institution he led will begin the process of preparing for a new chapter under a successor selected through Tooro’s traditional customs.
**Source:🇺🇬 Be Blessed
