Health Officials Pay Tribute to King Oyo’s Contribution to Healthcare

What the report says

Health officials in the Tooro and Rwenzori sub-regions have paid tribute to the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, crediting him with strong advocacy for HIV prevention, immunisation, malaria control and healthy living. The tribute was presented during a regional health review meeting held on Monday in Fort Portal City, where attendees observed a moment of silence in his memory.

According to the Nile Post report, the meeting was led by Dr Richard Mugahi, Commissioner for Maternal and Child Health at Uganda’s Ministry of Health and deputy minister of health in Tooro Kingdom. Mugahi urged health workers to protect and expand the king’s legacy by continuing public health education, disease prevention efforts and community mobilisation. He said King Oyo had especially supported youth-focused HIV/AIDS awareness and had gained recognition beyond Uganda for that work.

Mugahi also said the monarch backed vaccination campaigns and child health initiatives, working alongside the ministry to encourage communities to accept vaccines. The officials highlighted his support for malaria prevention, including involvement in the launch of a malaria vaccine for children in 2025, as part of wider efforts to reduce preventable illness.

The tribute comes amid broader mourning for the king, who died on August 27, 2026, at age 34. The meeting participants said his health advocacy should remain a guide for health workers and communities, particularly in strengthening immunisation, child health and disease prevention.