President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni on Friday received the body of the late Tooro King, Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, at Entebbe International Airport, marking the emotional beginning of the monarch’s final journey home. The casket arrived at the airport’s VIP Terminal at exactly noon aboard an aircraft from abroad, bringing together senior government officials, members of the Tooro Royal Family, kingdom leaders and religious figures for a solemn reception.
Museveni personally stood at the centre of the ceremony as the fallen monarch was formally received, paying his final respects to a King he said he had known and supported from childhood. The President spoke with visible sadness about Oyo’s death, recalling the monarch’s upbringing and expressing sympathy to the Royal Family. “Sorry for the loss of the grandchild, King Oyo. We looked after him, we took him to school, and he grew up, but now the Lord has taken him,” Museveni said.
The President revealed that Queen Mother Best Kemigisa first brought him news of the King’s illness during a meeting in November 2025, at a time when Uganda was preparing for the General Elections. According to Museveni, the Queen Mother disclosed that Oyo was battling an aggressive form of cancer, prompting efforts to obtain specialised medical care for the young monarch.
Museveni said the government supported attempts to save King Oyo’s life, including facilitating specialised treatment abroad. The monarch was reportedly treated in Germany before later receiving medical attention in the United States, but despite the extensive efforts and treatment, doctors were unable to save him. “But they were unable to save the King,” Museveni said, reflecting on the loss of the long-serving Tooro monarch.
Describing Oyo as a good man and leader, Museveni praised the late King’s conduct throughout his reign and prayed for his soul to rest in eternal peace. “During his entire leadership as King of Tooro, he was a very good person and leader. May the Lord grant him eternal rest. Amen,” the President said, as mourners gathered to honour a cultural leader whose reign spanned more than three decades.
The solemn reception blended Uganda’s national military and cultural traditions with those of the Tooro Kingdom. Uganda Police officers wrapped the casket in the national colours alongside the colours of Tooro Kingdom before carrying it through a guard of honour. Museveni laid a wreath at the casket as the Uganda Police Brass Band played solemn hymns, while Cabinet ministers, members of the Royal Family, kingdom officials and religious leaders also paid their respects.
After the official ceremony, Museveni held a brief meeting with selected members of the Royal Family, including Queen Mother Best Kemigisa, at the Presidential Lounge. The delegation accompanying the body, together with selected members of the Royal Family, later departed by helicopter for Kyegegwa District, where the next phase of the late King’s funeral programme will take place.
King Oyo’s death has triggered a wave of mourning across Tooro and beyond, bringing together the Royal Family, kingdom institutions, government leaders and thousands of citizens preparing to honour their fallen monarch. His burial is scheduled for September 12, a date that would have marked the 31st anniversary of his coronation, making the occasion both a farewell to a King and a poignant reminder of the extraordinary length of his reign.
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