Focus on praying for Oyo’s soul during mourning, Princess Bagaya urges Batooro

What the report says

Princess Elizabeth Bagaya has urged people in Tooro to keep their focus on mourning and praying for the soul of Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who died on August 27, according to The Independent Uganda. Speaking at Karuzika Palace in Fort Portal, she described his death as a painful loss for a kingdom that had begun to see him as a source of development and said he had died while still full of plans for his people.

Bagaya, who is 90 and a paternal aunt to the late king, told journalists that Oyo had many hopes for Tooro and had only just begun to advance those ideas. She said she would have preferred that older members of the family die first, reflecting the shock felt by the royal family and mourners. The Independent Uganda reported that she also thanked God for her own long life while questioning why the young monarch had been taken before completing his work.

She appealed to Batooro to remain calm, trust in God’s plan, and avoid moving too quickly to other issues before the mourning period ends. Mourners continued to arrive at Karuzika Palace to view the king’s body and pay respects. The report says Oyo is due to be buried on September 12, the day the kingdom would have marked his 31st coronation anniversary.