Tooro clarifies start of nine-day mourning for King Oyo

What the report says

The Tooro Kingdom has clarified that the official nine-day mourning period for King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV will begin only after his body arrives at Karuzika Palace in Fort Portal, rather than immediately after the announcement of his death. The clarification came in a statement read on Saturday by Fr. (Dr.) Charles Oyo, following earlier messages that suggested mourning and related rites had already started.

According to the report from The Independent Uganda, King Oyo died on Thursday evening at the age of 34 while receiving medical treatment in the United States. The kingdom said the body will be taken directly from the airport to the palace and will not be moved between locations during the mourning period. Officials also said Karuzika Palace is the only designated place where the king’s body will lie in state.

The kingdom said its traditional and cultural protocols remain in effect as it prepares for the arrival of the remains and funeral arrangements. A five-member communications committee led by Fr. Oyo is handling public updates. The statement also described Omusuga Charles Kamurasi, head of the royal clan, as the custodian of the kingdom’s funeral and cultural ceremonies. King Oyo, who became monarch in 1995 at age three, was widely seen as a unifying figure for the Batooro community.