Museveni Reveals Uganda Supported Oyo’s Treatment in Germany & U.S, Urges Tooro to Remain Calm

KAMPALA, Uganda — September 4, 2026: President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has received the body of the late Tooro King, His Majesty Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, at Entebbe International Airport, marking the beginning of the monarch’s final journey home amid a national mourning period.

King Oyo’s remains arrived in Uganda on Friday, following his death in the United States on August 27 at the age of 34. He is scheduled to be buried at the Karambi Royal Tombs on September 12, which also marks the anniversary of his 1995 coronation.

The solemn reception at Entebbe brought together President Museveni, members of the Tooro Royal Family led by Queen Mother Best Kemigisa, Tooro Kingdom officials, senior government leaders and religious figures.

Museveni used the occasion to disclose that the government had been involved in efforts to secure specialised medical treatment for King Oyo after the Queen Mother informed him of the monarch’s illness in November 2025.

President Yoweri Museveni stands alongside the Queen Mother, Best Kemigisa Akiiki, and other family members at Entebbe International Airport where he received and bade farewell to the late King Oyo

“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,” Museveni said.

The President said efforts were subsequently made to obtain specialised treatment for the young monarch, first in Germany and later in the United States.

“But they were unable to save the King,” he said.

Museveni’s remarks offered a personal account of the government’s involvement in the monarch’s final months and underscored the close relationship between the Ugandan state and the Tooro Kingdom, one of the country’s historic traditional institutions.

Princess Elizabeth Bagaya was among members of the Royal Family who turned up for the ceremony to receive King Oyo

Despite Uganda’s status as a republic, traditional kingdoms continue to play an influential cultural and social role, making the death of a reigning monarch a significant national event. King Oyo had also developed a public profile beyond Tooro through his advocacy for youth, health, environmental conservation and sport.

‘A Good Person and a Good Leader’

Museveni paid tribute to Oyo as a leader who maintained a positive public character throughout his reign.

“During his entire leadership as King of Tooro, he was a very good person and leader. May the Lord grant him eternal rest. Amen,” the President said.

The President also reflected on his long relationship with the young monarch, who ascended the Tooro throne in 1995 at just three years old and became internationally known as the world’s youngest reigning 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,” Museveni said.

The reception combined state protocol with cultural symbolism. The casket was draped in Uganda’s national colours alongside the colours of the Tooro Kingdom, while the Uganda Police mounted a guard of honour and its brass band played solemn hymns. Museveni laid a wreath and paid his final respects before signing the condolence book.

Museveni Urges Tooro to Remain Calm

Beyond mourning, Museveni used the moment to deliver a political message to the people of Tooro, urging them to maintain stability and avoid disorganisation during the transition.

“I encourage the people of Tooro to remain calm and avoid disorganisation, even in this difficult time,” he said.

The appeal comes as the Kingdom enters a sensitive period following Oyo’s death, with questions surrounding the future leadership of the institution.

Royal family members watched on during the short ceremony at the airport

Government has separately called for calm, unity and restraint, stressing that any succession questions should be handled through recognised Tooro cultural mechanisms and within Ugandan law.

The government’s emphasis on stability highlights the wider political importance attached to an orderly transition within Tooro, particularly given the kingdom’s cultural influence and large following in western Uganda.

A Final Journey Home

Following the ceremony at Entebbe, King Oyo’s body was transported towards Tooro, with the remains later flown by Uganda People’s Defence Forces helicopter to Kyegegwa before continuing the journey to Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal City.

The official mourning period will culminate in the burial at the Karambi Royal Tombs on September 12.

For Uganda, Oyo’s death represents the loss of a monarch whose reign spanned more than three decades—from childhood on the throne to adulthood as a prominent cultural figure.

Mourners gather in larged numbers along the route as the royal procession enters Tooro Kingdom from Kyegegwa, continuing to Karuzika Royal Palace in Fort Portal

For Tooro, however, his death marks more than the end of a reign. It opens a new chapter for one of Uganda’s most prominent traditional institutions, with the Royal Family, cultural leaders and government now expected to ensure that the transition is conducted peacefully and in accordance with Tooro traditions.

As the King returns to his ancestral home for his final farewell, Museveni’s message is clear: mourning must not become a source of division, and the stability of Tooro must remain paramount.