The body of the late Tooro King, Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, has arrived in Uganda from the United States, marking the beginning of preparations for his burial on September 12.
A chartered aircraft, 5Y-FAM, carrying the King’s body landed at Entebbe International Airport at about noon on Friday, September 4, 2026.
President Yoweri Museveni led government officials, members of the Tooro royal family, religious leaders and other dignitaries in receiving the remains.
A guard of honour was mounted at the airport in honour of the late King, whose casket was draped with both the Ugandan and Tooro Kingdom flags.
President Museveni laid a wreath on the casket before paying his final respects to the late monarch.
Speaking briefly after the ceremony, Museveni said he was informed in November 2025 that King Oyo had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.
He said the King was initially taken to Germany for treatment before later being transferred to the United States, where he died on August 27, 2026, aged 34.
Museveni said the death had saddened the country and urged the people of Tooro to remain calm and united during the mourning period.
Following the airport ceremony, the President held a closed-door meeting with members of the royal family, including Queen Mother Best Kemigisa, Princess Ruth Komuntale and Princess Elizabeth Bagaya, among others.
The King’s body will later be airlifted from Entebbe to Kyegegwa, where members of the public gathered to pay their respects.
The casket will subsequently be transported to Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal, where it will lie in state as Tooro begins nine days of mourning and funeral rites ahead of the King’s burial on September 12.
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