By Swift Reporter
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has revealed that he knew about the late Tooro King Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV’s battle with cancer months before his death, saying the young monarch personally informed him about the illness during a meeting in November last year.
Museveni made the revelation on Friday as he received King Oyo’s body at Entebbe International Airport, where the remains of the 34-year-old monarch arrived from the United States for repatriation to Tooro Kingdom.
The revelation offered a deeply personal glimpse into the final chapter of King Oyo’s life, as the President disclosed that the two had discussed the King’s health at a time when he was quietly beginning his battle with the disease.
According to Museveni, King Oyo personally visited him in November 2025 and told him that he had cancer.
The President said he supported the late monarch during his treatment journey, which initially took him to Germany before he later travelled to the United States, where he eventually died on August 27, 2026.
King Oyo’s death brought to an end a historic reign that began in 1995 when he ascended the Tooro throne at just three years old.
Museveni: Oyo Was Humble And Willing To Listen
Beyond revealing his knowledge of the King’s illness, Museveni paid tribute to Oyo’s character, describing him as a humble leader who listened to advice and avoided unnecessary confrontation.
The President said the late King was not argumentative and was willing to listen and engage with others, qualities Museveni appeared to regard as important to his success as a cultural leader.
Museveni also praised Oyo for respecting the boundaries of his traditional institution and concentrating on matters concerning the Tooro Kingdom instead of involving himself in issues outside his mandate.
He said the late King understood the role of a cultural leader and remained focused on the interests of his Kingdom.
The remarks painted a picture of a monarch who, despite inheriting the throne as a child, grew into a disciplined and respected cultural leader who understood the limits of his office.
For months, King Oyo’s battle with cancer largely remained away from the public spotlight, even as he sought treatment abroad.
His death in the United States on August 27 therefore came as a shock to many Ugandans, particularly those who had watched him grow from a three-year-old child King into an adult monarch.
Museveni’s revelation that he had been informed about the illness months earlier provides a rare insight into the private struggle behind the final months of Oyo’s public life.
The President’s account also highlights the support extended to the late monarch as he sought treatment first in Germany and later in the United States.
Now, after his long battle, Oyo’s remains have returned to Uganda for a final journey through the Kingdom he ruled for more than three decades.
Following the reception at Entebbe, a Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) helicopter transported the King’s body to Humura Primary School playground in Kyegegwa District, where hundreds of mourners gathered to receive him.
Humura has a special connection to the Tooro Royal Family.
King Oyo’s grandfather, Sir George Rukiidi III, and his father, Prince Kaboyo, planted trees at the school. King Oyo himself planted a tree there last year.
The symbolism was profound: a place where generations of the Tooro Royal Family had left their mark was now receiving the remains of the last monarch in that line.
From Humura, the King’s body is expected to travel by road through Kyenjojo and Kabarole before reaching Fort Portal City and Karuziika Palace, the official seat of the Tooro monarchy.
Thousands of mourners are expected to line the route to pay their final respects.
September 12 To Mark Final Goodbye
At Karuziika Palace, the official nine-day mourning period will begin before King Oyo is laid to rest at the Karambi Royal Tombs on September 12, 2026.
The date will carry an extraordinary historical significance.
It is the same date on which Oyo was crowned King of Tooro in 1995 at the age of three.
Thirty-one years later, the date that marked the beginning of his reign will also mark its final chapter.
King Oyo’s journey from a child monarch to an adult cultural leader has been one of the most remarkable stories in Uganda’s modern traditional history.
As Tooro now prepares to bury its King, Museveni’s revelation has also opened a window into the private battle Oyo fought before returning home for the final time.
WhatsApp/Call: +256 754 137391
