President
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni today received the body of His Majesty King Oyo Nyimba
Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV at Entebbe International Airport, paying tribute to the
fallen Tooro monarch as a good person and leader whose death has deeply
saddened the nation.
The
aircraft carrying King Oyo’s body arrived at the VIP Terminal at exactly 12:00
noon for a solemn reception ceremony attended by members of the Tooro Royal
Family led by the Queen Mother, Best Kemigisa, Tooro Kingdom officials, Central
Government ministers and religious leaders.
Speaking
after receiving the body and paying his last respects, President Museveni
expressed sorrow over the King’s death, recalling his long association with the
Tooro Royal Family and the efforts made to secure specialised medical treatment
for the monarch.
“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,” President Museveni
said.
The
President said the Queen Mother first informed him about the King’s illness
during a meeting in November 2025, at the height of campaigns ahead of the
General Elections.
“The
Queen Mother came and visited me in November 2025 during the campaigns ahead of
the elections, and she told me about this problem of aggressive cancer that had
started disturbing the King,” he said.
President
Museveni said he subsequently supported efforts to secure specialised treatment
for King Oyo, initially in Germany and later in the United States, but the
treatment was ultimately unsuccessful.
“But
they were unable to save the King,” he said.
The
President described King Oyo as a good person and leader throughout his reign
as the Omukama of Tooro.
“During
his entire leadership as King of Tooro, he was a very good person and leader.
May the Lord grant him eternal rest. Amen,” President Museveni said.
Solemn
Reception:
Upon
the arrival of the aircraft, President Museveni proceeded to the flagmast area,
where the casket was formally received.
In
a ceremony combining military and cultural symbolism, the Uganda Police wrapped
the casket in the national colours and the colours of the Tooro Kingdom.
The
casket was then carried through a guard of honour mounted by the Uganda Police
before being placed at a designated point in front of the President.
President
Museveni paid his final respects to the fallen King and laid a wreath as the
Uganda Police Brass Band played solemn hymns.
Cabinet
ministers, members of the Tooro Royal Family, Tooro Kingdom officials and
religious leaders subsequently paid their last respects.
The
President later held a brief meeting with selected members of the Royal Family,
including the Queen Mother, at the Presidential Lounge.
The
delegation accompanying the body, together with selected members of the Royal
Family, later boarded a helicopter bound for Kyegegwa District.
King
Oyo’s body will now be received by mourners and members of the Tooro Kingdom as
preparations continue for his official burial scheduled for September 12, a
date that would have marked the 31st anniversary of his coronation.
Friday’s
ceremony at Entebbe International Airport marked the beginning of the final
journey home for the fallen Tooro King, as his family, subjects and the nation
prepare to accord him a final farewell.
