President Yoweri Museveni has directed that the late Tooro King, Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, be accorded an official burial, recognising the important role the young monarch played during his reign.
In a message issued following the death of the 34-year-old King, Museveni ordered that the late monarch be given an official burial as the country joins the people of Tooro in mourning his death.
The President also directed that flags be flown at half-mast for three days in honour of King Oyo. The mourning period will cover the day before the burial, the burial day itself and the day after the burial.
Museveni’s decision places the late King Oyo among national figures whose passing is marked with an official state gesture of respect. The directive is expected to guide the arrangements for the final farewell to the monarch, who spent more than three decades on the Tooro throne.
The President praised King Oyo for the manner in which he worked with the Central Government during his reign. Museveni said the late monarch maintained a good relationship with the government and avoided using cultural institutions to promote sectarianism.
According to Museveni, King Oyo’s approach demonstrated the importance of cultural leaders working peacefully with the Central Government and using their positions to unite rather than divide communities.
“It would be good if all the Cultural leaders understood the importance of this,” Museveni said, urging other cultural leaders to learn from the late King’s example.
Museveni also revealed that he had spoken by telephone with Her Royal Highness Best Kemigisa, who informed him that King Oyo left behind a young boy heir. The President said the heir would be introduced to the public at the appropriate time.
However, much of the President’s message focused on ensuring that King Oyo receives the honour and dignity befitting his position. By granting him an official burial and ordering three days of half-mast mourning, Museveni has directed that the late Tooro monarch’s final farewell be marked at an official national level.
King Oyo’s death has left the Tooro Kingdom and many Ugandans mourning the loss of a monarch who ascended the throne as a child and grew into one of the country’s most recognised cultural leaders.
As Tooro prepares to lay its King to rest, Museveni’s official burial directive sets the tone for a solemn farewell to the late monarch, with the country expected to honour his memory and legacy.
“May his soul rest in eternal peace,” Museveni said.
