Subjects paying final respects to the fallen monarch
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The death of Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV has plunged Tooro Kingdom into a succession debate over who should occupy the throne, but as the kingdom prepares to bury its late monarch, one question has remained largely separate from the contest for the crown: who has the authority to perform the sacred rites that will send the 34-year-old king into the royal tomb?
The answer lies not with the competing groups backing possible successors, but within the traditional structures of the Babiito royal clan.
King Oyo, who died in the United States on August 27, 2026, is scheduled to be buried on Saturday, September 12, at the Karambi Royal Tombs in Fort Portal. His final journey comes at a time when disagreements over his successor have exposed tensions within the royal family and the wider Babiito establishment.
Yet the burial arrangements have followed a distinct traditional chain of authority, with Omusuuga Prince Charles Akiiki Kamurasi, the head of the Babiito royal clan, overseeing the customary protocols, while the Omusuna, the kingdom’s chief priest, will perform the hands-on rituals at the royal tomb.
Succession dispute, burial authority
The succession controversy has involved different claims about who should inherit the throne following Oyo’s death.
Names that have featured in discussions include George Desmond Kamurasi and Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, while members of Oyo’s immediate family have maintained that the late king could have left behind a biological heir whose existence was not previously known to the wider royal establishment.
The competing claims have generated questions about who has the legitimate authority to determine the next Omukama.
But the succession question is separate from the burial of the deceased king.
Best Kemigisa, the Queen Mother has threatened to go to court over the succession dispute if King Oyo’s Will is not followed
According to Tooro’s traditional framework, the responsibility for ensuring that a deceased Omukama receives the appropriate final rites belongs to the established Babiito leadership. This places the Omusuuga at the centre of the traditional arrangements, regardless of which prince or claimant eventually emerges as the next king.
Prince Charles Akiiki Kamurasi, as the chief elder and head of the Babiito clan, therefore has the customary responsibility to direct the traditional protocols surrounding Oyo’s death, mourning and burial.
The distinction is important because it means that the succession dispute does not automatically transfer control of the burial rites to any of the groups seeking to influence the next occupant of the throne.
Omusuna to perform the sacred rites
While the Omusuuga provides the customary leadership and oversight, the actual rituals at the royal graveside will be performed by the Omusuna, the sacred traditional official responsible for the physical preparation and rituals surrounding the royal burial.
Richard Rwabuhinga, co-chairperson of the burial organising committee, confirmed that the traditional rites at the Karambi Royal Tombs will be led by the chief priest, the Omusuna.
This makes the Omusuna the key figure during the final and most restricted stage of Oyo’s burial. The official will oversee the traditional processes associated with preparing the grave and committing the king’s body to the royal tomb, in accordance with Tooro customs.
The arrangement also explains why members of the public will not be allowed into the royal burial grounds.
Public to stop at the royal tombs
The public will have an opportunity to participate in Oyo’s final send-off, but access will stop short of the actual burial ground.
Tooro deputy prime minister in charge of Foreign Affairs and head of protocol for the burial organising committee, Henry Basaliza Araali, said public viewing of Oyo’s body will end at 5pm on Friday.
On Saturday morning, the king’s body will be moved from Karuziika Palace to St John’s Cathedral in Fort Portal, where a three-hour funeral service and prayer session will begin at 9am.
Mourners attending the service are expected to take their seats by 7am. The cathedral service will provide the main public setting for speeches, prayers and tributes to the late king.
Only four speakers will deliver tributes during the main service, according to the burial programme.
After the church service, mourners will then embark on a roughly six-kilometre walk from St John’s Cathedral to the Karambi Royal Tombs, escorting the king to his final resting place. But once the procession reaches the royal burial grounds, the character of the ceremony will change.
A private royal burial
Unlike the public funeral service, the burial itself will be conducted away from the crowds. The burial organising committee has said members of the public will not be allowed to enter the Karambi Royal Tombs or access Oyo’s grave. Instead, mourners will follow the proceedings from designated areas at a distance while the traditional rites are conducted.
The restriction is intended to preserve the sanctity of the royal burial grounds and allow the traditional rituals to take place without interruption.
It also reinforces the distinction between the public funeral and the private customary ceremony.
The public can therefore witness the king’s final journey, participate in prayers, listen to tributes and escort his body to Karambi. But the final rituals belong to the traditional custodians of the kingdom.
Burial before succession announcement
The timing is significant because Tooro’s succession debate is still unfolding. The kingdom’s traditional structures have continued to handle Oyo’s burial while the question of his replacement remains contentious. This allows the late king to be buried according to established custom without allowing the succession dispute to determine the conduct of his funeral.
At Karambi, therefore, the focus will not be on which prince will become the next Omukama. It will be on ensuring that the fallen king receives the final rites prescribed by Tooro tradition.
The Omusuuga will provide the customary authority and oversight, while the Omusuna will lead the sacred rites at the tomb.
Only after the king has been committed to his final resting place will the kingdom fully confront the difficult political and cultural question of who should succeed him.
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