Uganda: Tooro Kingdom Mourns King Oyo As 34-Year Reign Ends

What the report says

The Tooro Kingdom in western Uganda is in mourning after the death of Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who died on Thursday night at age 34, according to reporting distributed by AllAfrica from The New Light Paper. The announcement was made in Fort Portal by Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki, who said the king died at about 10:00 p.m. while receiving medical attention in the United States.

The report says the death came after a day of uncertainty about the monarch’s condition. Earlier on Thursday, the kingdom had confirmed that King Oyo was critically ill and urged the public to pray while avoiding unverified claims, after social media posts and other reports circulated saying he had already died. The eventual confirmation ended the confusion and prompted mourning in the kingdom and beyond.

King Oyo was born in 1992 and became Omukama in September 1995, after the death of his father, King Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III. He was about three years old when he ascended the throne, making him one of the world’s youngest reigning monarchs. The article says he later assumed full operational control of the kingdom in 2010 when he turned 18.

The report adds that succession plans are expected to be clarified later under Tooro traditions, with the prime minister saying the continuity of the institution is secure. It also notes that the kingdom under Oyo supported initiatives in education, health, tourism, conservation and youth empowerment, marking the end of a long and symbolically important reign.