King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV being driven to his palace in Karuziika where his body is lying in state
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The body of the late Tooro King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV is now lying in state at Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal City, where the kingdom has entered the most solemn phase of mourning before the former child monarch is laid to rest on September 12.
The remains arrived at Karuziika on Friday evening, September 4, after being flown back from the United States and received at Entebbe International Airport by President Yoweri Museveni and senior government officials. From Entebbe, the casket was airlifted to Kyegegwa and then transported by road in a procession through Kyenjojo and Kabarole before reaching Fort Portal. Thousands of mourners lined the route to bid farewell to the King.
The arrival at Karuziika has formally activated Tooro’s nine-day cultural mourning period, which will run until the burial on September 12. Members of the public are being allowed to enter the palace and pay their respects, while prayers are held every evening.
Royal customs govern viewing
Despite the public viewing, Tooro’s traditional funeral protocols impose strict limits on what mourners can see.
The casket is available for viewing, but the physical body of the deceased King remains concealed in accordance with royal custom. The palace has consequently become both a public mourning centre and a carefully controlled cultural space where Batooro can fulfil their obligations to their departed monarch.
The nine-day period has also brought traditional restrictions. The Babiito Royal Clan has called on subjects to suspend farming and entertainment activities, while loud music and other activities considered inconsistent with mourning have been discouraged. Families have also been asked to observe traditional symbols of mourning.
The arrangements underline the distinction between ordinary mourning and the death of a reigning Omukama. Under Tooro custom, the nine days begin with the arrival of the King’s body at Karuziika rather than simply being counted from the day of his death.
King Oyo died in the United States on August 27 at the age of 34, ending a reign that began in 1995 when he was only three years old. His September 12 burial will carry additional symbolism because the date coincides with what would have been his 31st coronation anniversary.
Government takes charge of final send-off
President Museveni has directed that King Oyo receive an official burial, with the government taking responsibility for major logistical expenses.
King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV’s body lying in state
The Uganda Media Centre said the government, through State House funding and an inter-ministerial organising committee, is covering major costs associated with the funeral, including repatriation of the remains and preparations for the final send-off.
The state has also deployed security and logistical teams, while preparations have been undertaken at Karuziika Palace, St John’s Cathedral and the Karambi Royal Tombs.
The government has designated three days of national mourning during which flags will fly at half-mast across the country, while feeding and other logistical arrangements continue at designated mourning centres, including the Buziga Royal Residence in Kampala and Karuziika Palace.
September 12 programme
The official programme issued by government places St John’s Cathedral at the centre of the first part of the final farewell.
8:00am: Ordinary mourners must be seated at St John’s Cathedral.
After 8:00am: VIPs and high-profile dignitaries will take their designated seats.
9:00am: The final funeral church service begins.
12:00 noon: The church service ends and the funeral procession leaves the cathedral for the Karambi Royal Tombs.
1:00pm–2:00pm: Traditional and royal burial rituals will be conducted at Karambi.
During the burial: The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces will accord the late King a multi-gun salute.
Mourners are expected to accompany the King’s remains from St John’s Cathedral towards Karambi, known as the royal burial grounds. The afternoon timing is also dictated by Tooro custom, which does not permit a reigning King to be buried in the evening.
For Tooro, therefore, the days at Karuziika are more than a period of public grief. They are the final chapter of a 31-year reign that began with a three-year-old boy becoming one of the world’s youngest monarchs and ended with his remains returning to the palace where his kingship was nurtured.
As the casket lies in state, the Batooro are preparing not only to say goodbye to Oyo, but also to close one royal chapter before the kingdom turns its attention to the question of succession.
