FORT PORTAL — The King of the Azande in South Sudan, Atoroba Peni Rikito, has arrived in Uganda to pay tribute to the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of Tooro and attend his burial in Fort Portal on Saturday.
King Atoroba arrived at Kajjansi aboard a chartered aircraft before travelling to Fort Portal, where Tooro is holding the final funeral rites for King Oyo.
He described the late Tooro monarch as a champion of unity among African kingdoms and an advocate for cooperation in culture, agriculture and the welfare of their subjects.
King Oyo, who died in the United States on August 27 aged 34 after receiving treatment for cancer, is being buried today at the Karambi Royal Tombs following a funeral service at St John’s Cathedral, Kabarole. He became king in 1995 at the age of three, making him the world’s youngest reigning monarch at the time.
The funeral service is scheduled to run from 9am to 1pm, after which mourners will join a six-kilometre procession from St John’s Cathedral to the Karambi Royal Tombs. Access to the inner burial grounds will be restricted to authorised members of the royal family and traditional custodians in accordance with Tooro customs.
King Atoroba joins a number of African and Ugandan cultural leaders and royal delegations paying tribute to King Oyo.
The Busoga Kingdom postponed celebrations marking the coronation anniversary of Kyabazinga William Wilberforce Gabula Nadiope IV to allow its subjects and officials to participate in the Tooro funeral. A delegation led by Busoga Prime Minister Dr Joseph Muvawala was expected to represent the kingdom.
Other Ugandan cultural institutions have also been involved in the mourning and funeral arrangements. A Bunyoro-Kitara royal delegation led by Chief Prince Fred Mugenyi Rukyunya visited Karuziika Palace and delivered traditional cattle as a tribute to the late king.
Buganda has also paid tribute to the late monarch, with the Nnabagereka visiting Karuziika Palace to condole with the Tooro royal family. The kingdom has also offered barkcloth as part of its tribute.
Representatives of other cultural institutions, including Acholi elders, have participated in preparations for the traditional rites, while royal and cultural delegations from across Uganda and beyond have been expected in Fort Portal.
The burial takes place amid heightened attention to the succession of the Tooro throne. The royal clan’s succession committee selected King Oyo’s cousin, Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma, a news anchor and editor at Uganda Broadcasting Corporation, as his successor. The decision has been contested by members of the late king’s immediate family, who have cited a will said to identify a biological son as heir.
Despite the dispute, preparations for the burial have proceeded, with security and traffic arrangements put in place across Fort Portal to manage the large number of mourners and visitors expected for the funeral.
The arrival of King Atoroba adds an international royal presence to the final farewell for King Oyo, whose reign attracted attention beyond Uganda and whose death has brought traditional institutions from across the region together in Fort Portal.
