Uganda blocks DRC mourners from King Oyo burial

What the report says

Uganda has barred mourners from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo from attending the burial of Tooro Kingdom’s King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru IV, citing the Ebola outbreak in that part of the DRC. The announcement, reported by The Observer, came from Uganda’s Ministry of Health as the kingdom prepared for a large funeral gathering in Fort Portal City and at the Karambi Royal Tombs.

According to the report, health officials said the restriction is intended to reduce the risk of cross-border transmission while Uganda remains under surveillance after its own recent Ebola outbreak. Charles Olaro, the ministry’s director general of health services, said the expected turnout includes subjects of Tooro living in eastern DRC, where travel remains restricted and the Uganda-DRC border is closed. The ministry said those affected would be able to follow the burial through an official virtual link shared by government channels.

King Oyo died after battling a rare brain cancer, and his body arrived at Entebbe International Airport on Friday before being taken toward Fort Portal, where crowds have been paying respects. The burial is scheduled for September 12. The report also says the kingdom expects mourners from several countries, including members of royal families from Nigeria, the DRC and Eswatini. The restrictions are significant because they limit participation from a key part of the kingdom’s diaspora while public health authorities try to avoid another Ebola spillover.