FORT PORTAL – Deputy Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa on Saturday delivered a message from President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni as thousands of mourners gathered for the final journey of the late Omukama of Tooro, His Highness Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
Speaking at St. John’s Cathedral during the solemn rites marking the King’s final journey from Karuziika Palace to Karambi, Tayebwa conveyed the President’s deep appreciation for the late monarch’s leadership and called for national unity in the face of loss.
“His Highness Oyo, the late Omukama, was a good cultural leader who never clashed with the Central Government. It is a big loss. May his soul rest in peace,” Tayebwa said, reading the President’s message.
The Speaker further relayed Museveni’s assurance of continued cooperation with Tooro’s cultural institution. “When the issue of the new King of the Batooro is solved, we shall be happy to work with the King as we did with His Highness Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.”
In a pointed call that resonated beyond the mourning, Tayebwa also delivered the President’s appeal for a national fight against preventable illnesses. “As we mourn His Highness Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, I must call on Ugandans to launch an all-out war against cancer and all the other preventable diseases. 80% of all diseases are preventable, including Cancer.”
The late Omukama, who ascended the throne as a child and grew into a respected cultural figure, was widely remembered for maintaining harmonious relations with the central government while upholding Tooro’s traditions. His passing has united the Batooro kingdom in grief, with the funeral procession drawing large crowds under the banner of national mourning.
Our Live coverage of the proceedings captured the dignified ceremony attended by clergy, cultural leaders, and government representatives under the theme “King Oyo’s Final Journey from Karuziika to Karambi.”
As the Batooro prepare to resolve the succession, the President’s message signalled continuity in the longstanding partnership between the kingdom and the central government apartnership the late Omukama helped sustain throughout his reign.
