The remains of the late Omukama of Tooro, Rukirabasaija Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, will arrive in Uganda on Friday as the Government and Tooro Kingdom conclude preparations for his burial on September 12.
The King’s body is expected to arrive at Entebbe International Airport at 10am before being airlifted to Chegewa Airstrip in Kabarole District and transported by road to Karuzika Royal Palace in Fort Portal.
The burial arrangements were unveiled on Thursday at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala, where Government officials said a joint national organising committee comprising representatives of Government and Tooro Kingdom had coordinated security, transport, accommodation, health, protocol and other logistical requirements.
Minister for the Presidency Milly Babalanda said Cabinet, chaired by President Yoweri Museveni on August 31, directed Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja to coordinate a whole-of-government response to the death of the young monarch.
Babalanda said Government had provided logistical support at key venues, including Entebbe International Airport, Karuzika Royal Palace, the late King’s residence in Buziga, Kampala, the Karambi Royal Tombs and St John’s Cathedral, where the official burial service will be held.
The support includes tents, chairs, public-address systems, cleaning services, food, funeral vehicles, decorations and other logistical requirements.
The Ministry of Defence and Veterans Affairs, through the Uganda People’s Defence Forces Engineers Brigade, is also undertaking renovation and related works at Karuzika Palace and the Karambi Royal Tombs ahead of the burial.
Government has further deployed extensive security and crowd-control measures, including counter-terrorism operations, ceremonial teams, Police and UPDF bands, pallbearers, gun-salute arrangements and protocol personnel.
Babalanda said Government had also covered the medical expenses incurred during the King’s treatment and the costs associated with repatriating his remains from Dallas in the United States through Nairobi to Entebbe.
A health camp supervised by the Ministry of Health will also operate during the mourning period to provide medical attention to mourners suffering from minor illnesses.
Minister of State for Gender and Cultural Affairs Mary Grace Kutesa said the people of Tooro were grateful to President Museveni for supporting King Oyo from the age of three, including during his education and military training.
Kutesa said President Museveni would personally attend Entebbe International Airport to receive the King’s remains, describing the gesture as exceptional given the normal protocol surrounding the reception of a deceased monarch.
She also commended Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba and the UPDF for supporting the funeral arrangements, particularly the preparations at the Karambi Royal Tombs where the late King will be buried.
Kutesa appealed to members of the public to line the route from Chegewa to Fort Portal to give King Oyo a final farewell, while cautioning mourners against reckless behaviour and obstructing traffic.
“There will be no stops, but there will be moments of slow pace, especially in the towns along the road towards Karuzika,” Kutesa said.
She added that the procession would be managed by a joint team from the Uganda Police Force and UPDF.
At Chegewa Airstrip, the body will be transferred from the aircraft to a hearse for the journey to Karuzika Palace. No formal ceremony will be held at the airstrip, although the procession will move at a slow pace through selected towns to allow residents to pay their final respects.
The body is expected to reach Karuzika Palace by evening, where a cultural reception will be held before the late King lies in state.
The nine-day mourning period will run from September 4 to September 12, with daily evening prayers and opportunities for members of the public to pay their respects at the palace.
Residents from the nine counties and nine districts that make up Tooro Kingdom will be allowed to visit the palace during the mourning period.
The burial on September 12 will coincide with what would have been King Oyo’s 31st coronation anniversary. Preparations for the anniversary celebrations had been underway before his death.
Meanwhile, Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki has appealed to the media, cultural leaders and the public to exercise restraint as the Kingdom mourns its monarch.
Rwomiire described King Oyo as a young and widely loved monarch and urged the public not to allow speculation, disagreements and competing narratives to overshadow his final journey.
He said information previously released about the late King’s stay abroad, including reports that he was studying and later that he was in good health, had been communicated in accordance with the King’s wishes and his desire for privacy.
According to Rwomiire, King Oyo remained hopeful of recovering and returning home to reunite with his people during the 31st coronation anniversary celebrations.
He said any outstanding questions concerning the circumstances surrounding the King’s stay abroad would be addressed after the burial.
“For now, everything else is secondary,” Rwomiire said, urging Kingdom leaders, public officials, journalists and social media users to avoid statements that could create divisions during the mourning period.
He also appealed to the public to respect the privacy of the royal family, particularly the Queen Mother, Best Kemigisa, as she mourns her son.
Rwomiire thanked President Museveni, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the national organising committee, Parliament and the Speaker for their support to Tooro Kingdom during the mourning period.
He also expressed appreciation to Ugandans and people from around the world for the messages of condolence and support following the King’s death.
King Oyo’s remains will lie in state at Karuzika Palace throughout the nine-day mourning period before he is laid to rest at the Karambi Royal Tombs on September 12.
