The Tooro Kingdom has postponed a meeting of its Supreme Council, the Orukurato Orukuru Orwensanju, which had been scheduled for Tuesday to discuss arrangements following the death of Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
The council is traditionally expected to play a central role in deliberations concerning the burial arrangements for a deceased monarch and, subsequently, processes leading to the announcement of an heir to the throne.
In a statement issued on Tuesday morning, Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomire said the meeting had been deferred until further notice. He said a new date would be communicated by his office.
Rwomire said he was currently in Kampala engaging government officials and other relevant authorities to coordinate preparations for the return of the late King’s body and his burial.
“At this solemn moment, there can be no greater priority for the Kingdom than bringing our King home and laying him to rest with the dignity, honour and respect befitting His Majesty,” Rwomire said.
He urged Kingdom leaders and institutions to suspend unnecessary meetings, debates and activities that could divert attention from the funeral preparations.
The Prime Minister also appealed to Batooro leaders and the wider community to remain calm and exercise restraint, warning against disagreements, divisions and speculation during the period of mourning.
The postponement comes as questions continue to emerge over the succession to the Tooro throne following reports that the late King left behind a son.
When announcing King Oyo’s death on August 27, Rwomire said the monarch had left behind a son who would succeed him, adding that the identity of the child would be formally announced at an appropriate time in accordance with Tooro Kingdom traditions.
President Yoweri Museveni also referred to the reported heir in his tribute to the late King, saying Queen Mother Best Kemigisa had informed him that King Oyo had left behind a young son who would continue the royal lineage.
Museveni described the information as a source of comfort following the monarch’s death.
However, Omusuga Charles Kamurasi, the head of the Babiito Royal Clan, has said he has no knowledge of the reported heir and insists that the royal clan has an important role in determining the successor to the throne.
The Babiito Royal Clan has since established a 21-member committee of clan elders to examine the succession question and oversee the process of identifying and formally announcing the next King.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the return of the late monarch’s body, which is expected to arrive in Uganda on Thursday.
King Oyo died at the age of 34 while receiving treatment in the United States, ending a 31-year reign that began in 1995 when he ascended to the Tooro throne at the age of three.
The Kingdom is now preparing to bid farewell to one of Uganda’s youngest-serving traditional leaders, as attention increasingly turns to funeral arrangements and the future leadership of the Tooro Kingdom.
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