news 4 September 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Thousands bid farewell as King Oyo's remains return to Tooro
Emotional scenes unfolded across Fort Portal as thousands of subjects lined the streets to receive the remains of their beloved monarch, Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, following his passing. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/thousands-line-streets-to-receive-remains-of-king-oyo-5584204
Ten days after his death on August 27, the 12th Omukama of Tooro, Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, was brought back to the heart of his kingdom. The journey’s final leg saw two military helicopters land at Humura Playground in Kyegegwa District, carrying the late King’s remains and Tooro Kingdom officials. A red carpet marked the solemn reception, with the Queen Mother, Best Kemigisa, visibly overcome with grief as she approached her son’s casket.
The convoy, led by a glass-sided hearse, embarked on the 104-kilometer journey to Fort Portal. Thousands of Tooro subjects lined trading centers and towns along the Kampala-Fort Portal highway, including Kakabala, Butundizi, Kihura, Kyenjojo, and Kaihura. By the time the procession reached Kyenjojo Town Council, crowds stretched for kilometers, united in their mourning.
Upon entering Fort Portal City, the typical short drive to Karuziika Palace transformed into a slow procession lasting over half an hour due to the immense crowds. Mourners waved the Tooro Kingdom flag, held portraits of the late monarch, and wept openly, with many observing it as the largest gathering they had ever witnessed in the city.
At the Karuziika Palace, traditional ritualists performed customary rites as the hearse approached. The body was formally received at the main gate by the Omusuuna, followed by a guard of honor from the Uganda Police Force. Senior royal family members, including Chief Prince Charles Kamurasi and Princess Elizabeth Bagaya, tearfully received the casket, marking the family’s official reception of the body.
Following cultural rites, religious leaders from the Inter-Religious Council of Tooro led prayers. The body was then taken into the palace’s inner sanctum for private traditional rituals. An official nine-day mourning period has begun, concluding with the King’s burial at the Karambi Royal Tombs on September 12. Omukama Oyo reigned for nearly 31 years, ascending the throne as a child in 1995.