Emotions ran high at Entebbe International Airport on Friday as President Yoweri Museveni received the remains of Tooro King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
The late monarch’s body arrived in Uganda from the United States on September 4, marking the beginning of his final journey home. Museveni joined members of the Tooro royal family, government officials, religious leaders and other dignitaries at the solemn reception.
The atmosphere was sombre as the casket was formally received and covered with the Ugandan national colours alongside those of the Tooro Kingdom. A police guard of honour accompanied the ceremony as mourners and leaders paid their final respects.
Museveni described King Oyo as a good person and leader, recalling his long association with the royal family. He also revealed that he had been informed about the monarch’s aggressive cancer in November 2025 and said efforts had been made to secure specialised treatment in Germany and the United States.
King Oyo died in the United States on August 27, 2026, aged 34, after reigning over Tooro for 31 years. He became king at just three years old following the death of his father in 1995.
After the Entebbe ceremony, the body was taken to Kyegegwa before beginning a road journey to Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal, where thousands of mourners gathered to pay their respects.
King Oyo is scheduled to be buried at the Karambi Royal Tombs on September 12, a date that would have marked the 31st anniversary of his coronation.