King Oyo, once youngest monarch, to be buried in western Uganda
He died last month at 34 in the United States, where he was receiving treatment for cancer.
Uganda's Tooro Kingdom prepared for the burial of its late king, Oyo Nyimba, known as the world's youngest monarch, on Saturday. The royal guards, dressed in orange shawls and wielding wooden sticks, led the hearse carrying Oyo's casket in a somber procession through the streets of Fort Portal, the kingdom's capital in western Uganda.
Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV ascended to the throne at just three years old in 1995, a fact that drew global attention when images of the young king wearing a crown and royal robes circulated worldwide. He passed away last month at the age of 34 in the United States, where he was undergoing cancer treatment. His casket, draped in the Tooro flag, was driven from the royal palace to St. John's Cathedral for a ceremony attended by hundreds of mourners, including senior Ugandan government officials and delegations from neighboring countries.
Uganda operates under an elected head of state but maintains several kingdoms that predate the British colonial era, serving as bastions of traditional identity and heritage. Oyo Nyimba, after becoming king, became a UN goodwill ambassador, advocating for the fight against HIV and AIDS. His sister, Ruth Komuntale, spoke of him in her eulogy, noting that despite his royal responsibilities, he retained his youthful spirit and love for fun.
The burial will follow a traditional ritual where the Omusuna, the traditional chief priest, will cast nine coffee berries into the grave. However, the identity of the new king has been contested. A committee of the royal clan selected Oyo's cousin, Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a news anchor and editor at the state broadcaster UBC, as king.
Yet, Oyo's immediate family claimed his unknown son should take the throne, as per the late king's will. Oyo never married and had no known children until a government statement on August 27 announced his death, revealing the existence of his son. Proponents of Kijanangoma's succession argue that the royal family has been unable to provide sufficient information about the purported son.
Ugandan authorities managed to secure Kijanangoma's succession on Friday. The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Stephen Kazimba Mugalu, urged unity within the royal family, cautioning that words spoken in grief could cause pain, division, and conflict. The new king, Kijanangoma, will inherit a significant royal estate, including land and substantial cash payments from the central government.
Written by urgent.news from SABC News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
