The Rwenzururu Kingdom has dismissed reports that Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere Irema-Ngoma is critically ill, saying the monarch travelled to Türkiye for a routine medical review.
In a statement issued on Sunday, September 6, 2026, the kingdom said Mumbere travelled to Türkiye on August 27 following a recommendation from his doctors.
“We wish to clarify that HM Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere Irema-Ngoma is not critically ill, contrary to reports circulating on social media,” the Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu said.
The clarification followed reports and speculation on social media about the monarch’s health, coming shortly after the death of Tooro’s King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, which triggered widespread mourning across Uganda.
Rwenzururu officials said the Omusinga’s trip should not be interpreted as a medical emergency.
Kingdom spokesperson Owekitsumbi Geoffrey Kanyonyi and Prime Minister Kule Benson Baritizale confirmed that Mumbere was in Türkiye for the medical review.
The kingdom urged the public to disregard unverified reports and rely on official communication regarding the Omusinga’s health.
The statement also appealed for privacy as the monarch undergoes his medical review.
Mumbere, who has led the Rwenzururu cultural institution since 1982, has remained a prominent figure among the Bakonzo and other communities in the Rwenzori region.
His health has attracted renewed public attention amid heightened sensitivity surrounding the wellbeing of Uganda’s traditional rulers following the death of King Oyo at the age of 34.
The Rwenzururu Kingdom, however, sought to draw a clear line between the two situations, insisting that there is no basis for claims that Mumbere is critically ill.
For his supporters, the kingdom’s statement was also a call to restraint: not every journey to a hospital is a farewell, and not every silence is a crisis.
The kingdom said further updates would be communicated through its official channels.
