The body of the late Tooro monarch, Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, is expected to return to Uganda on Thursday as the government finalises arrangements for his homecoming and state funeral.
Hajj Yunus Kakande, the Presidential Secretary, said preparations are underway to receive the body and ensure the late king is accorded a dignified return to his kingdom.
According to Kakande, President Yoweri Museveni will receive the body at Entebbe International Airport upon its arrival.
“The body is expected to arrive in the country on Thursday, and the President will receive it at Entebbe Airport,” Kakande said.
From Entebbe, the body will be flown to Kyegegwa, where it will be placed on a hearse to allow members of the public to view the late monarch and pay their last respects before the journey to Tooro Kingdom.
The government’s arrangements are expected to turn the return journey into a public farewell for a monarch whose death has triggered mourning across Tooro and the country.
Once the body reaches Tooro Kingdom, the royal family, known as the Ababiito, will take charge of the traditional mourning ceremonies.
Kakande said the Ababiito will conduct traditional rituals for nine days, in line with Tooro cultural practices.
“When the body reaches the Kingdom, the Ababiito will carry out all the traditional rituals during the nine days of mourning,” he said.
The traditional ceremonies will precede the final burial rites for the king, who died in the United States on Thursday.
The government has also confirmed that King Oyo will be accorded a full state funeral following a directive by President Museveni.
The funeral will include a gun salute in honour of the late monarch.
“He will be buried with full honours as directed by the President, and there will be a gun salute,” Kakande said.
Kakande conveyed the government’s condolences to the people of Tooro and Ugandans, describing King Oyo’s death as a major loss.
“He was a humble and peaceful leader, and he was an example to many other leaders,” Kakande said.
King Oyo died at the age of 34 after battling cancer. He passed away on Thursday night, August 27, 2026, while in the United States.
King Oyo ascended the Tooro throne as a child and went on to become one of Uganda’s most prominent cultural leaders.
His death has left the kingdom preparing for both a national farewell and a deeply rooted traditional mourning process.
