FORT PORTAL, Uganda — Thousands of mourners gathered in Fort Portal on Saturday as the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of Tooro was laid to rest at the Karambi Royal Tombs, bringing nine days of official mourning to an end.
Oyo, 34, died on Aug. 27, 2026, in Dallas, Texas, after battling angiosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer. His remains were returned to Uganda on Sept. 4 and taken to Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal, where the public was allowed to pay their last respects during days of prayers and mourning.
The late king’s illness had remained largely private.
According to Queen Mother Best Kemigisa, the first signs appeared in mid 2025 when Oyo began experiencing unexplained back pain. Doctors in Kampala initially attributed the pain to his gym workouts.
It was only after he travelled to Kenya for further medical examinations that a PET scan at Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi identified angiosarcoma.
Treatment followed in Germany and later in the United States, including at Baylor Scott & White Hospital in Dallas. Oyo had asked officials to describe his trip to the United States as a study visit.
Relatives said he continued calling the palace and keeping in touch with family members until his condition deteriorated. He died on Aug. 27 and was pronounced dead at 2 p.m. local time in Dallas.
His death brought thousands of mourners to Tooro for nine days of prayers, public viewing and official mourning before the final burial on Saturday.
The burial ceremony brought together government officials, cultural leaders, members of the royal family, religious leaders and thousands of mourners who gathered to bid farewell to the Tooro king.
A requiem Service at St. John’s Cathedral in Fort Portal preceded the burial. From the cathedral, the king’s body was taken in a slow procession to the Karambi Royal Tombs, the traditional burial place of Tooro kings.
Royal guards in orange tunics and white robes accompanied the procession as a black hearse carried the casket, which was draped in Tooro’s blue and yellow colours.
The ceremony was conducted according to Tooro traditions, with the burial completed before dusk, in keeping with the custom that a Tooro king should not be buried after sunset.
A seven gun salute was fired during the burial ceremony as mourners gathered around the royal tombs.
Members of the royal family paid their final respects, with emotional tributes delivered during the service.
Princess Ruth Komuntale, Oyo’s sister, described her brother as a man who remained playful and able to make people laugh despite the responsibilities that came with being king.
The funeral came at a time when the Tooro Kingdom is facing uncertainty over its next king.
Three days before the burial, the Babiito clan elders selected Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as Oyo’s successor. Kijanangoma, 56, is a television news presenter and editor at the Uganda Broadcasting Corporation and a cousin of the late king.
However, members of Oyo’s immediate family have rejected the decision, saying the late king had identified a son as his heir.
The disagreement over the succession remained largely in the background as mourners focused on giving Oyo a final farewell.
President Yoweri Museveni, in a message read during the funeral, called for unity within the kingdom and said the government would work with whoever is eventually recognised as Oyo’s successor.
The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, also urged mourners and members of the royal family to avoid words and actions that could deepen divisions.
He warned that statements made during a period of grief could cause pain, conflict and damage the legacy of the late king.
The head of the Babiito clan, Omusuuga Charles Kayondo Kamurasi, defended the succession process and called for peace as the kingdom moves into the next chapter.
For many Batoro, however, Saturday was primarily a day to mourn a king they had watched grow up and become a central figure in the cultural life of Tooro.
With the burial at Karambi now complete, attention will turn to the future leadership of the kingdom as members of the royal family and the Babiito clan remain divided over who should succeed Oyo.
Uganda has now laid its youngest king to rest. The question of who will next occupy the Tooro throne remains unanswered.
