FORT PORTAL, Uganda — The burial of the late Tooro King, Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, will be conducted under strict cultural protocols, with members of the public barred from accessing the royal tombs as traditional burial rituals are performed.
The burial committee says the restrictions are necessary to preserve the sanctity of the royal rites and ensure that the final rituals are conducted in accordance with established Tooro cultural practices.
The Omukama will be laid to rest on Saturday at the Karambi Royal Tombs in Fort Portal City, following a national send-off prayer service at St. John’s Cathedral.
Henry Basaliza Araali, the Tooro Kingdom Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Foreign Affairs and head of protocol for the burial committee, announced the arrangements during a briefing at Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal City on Tuesday evening.
Basaliza said public viewing of the King’s body will end at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, after which preparations for the final royal rites will proceed in accordance with Tooro customs.
He explained that access to the royal tombs will be restricted during the burial to allow cultural custodians to conduct the prescribed rituals without interruption.
The restrictions reflect the special cultural status of the Karambi Royal Tombs, where members of the Tooro royal family are traditionally laid to rest.
King Oyo burial will mark part of the end of an era for the Tooro Kingdom and is expected to attract national and international attention, with government officials, cultural leaders, diplomats and members of the public participating in the wider programme of mourning and the national send-off.
The Omukama, who ascended the Tooro throne as a child, became one of Uganda’s most prominent cultural leaders and served as the symbolic head of the Tooro Kingdom for decades.
The burial committee has urged mourners and visitors to respect the cultural protocols governing the final rites as the Kingdom prepares to give its late monarch a final royal farewell.
