By Kabuye Ronald
Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, the King of Tooro Kingdom, has died at the age of 34, leaving behind a Prince who has been named as the heir to the Tooro throne.
King Oyo died on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at approximately 10:00 p.m., according to an official statement issued by Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki.
The Kingdom said the continuity of the Crown is assured, with King Oyo leaving behind a Prince whose identity will be formally revealed at an appropriate time in accordance with the traditions and customs of the Tooro Kingdom.
“It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that I announce the passing of His Majesty the Omukama of Tooro, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, at approximately 10:00 p.m. this evening,” Premier Rwomiire said.
The death of the monarch comes exactly 31 years and a day after the passing of his father, Omukama Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III.
King Oyo, who was born on April 16, 1992, is understood to have been in a coma for several days before his death.
Sources said the monarch had been admitted to a foreign hospital and was reportedly diagnosed with advanced brain cancer, although the Kingdom had not officially disclosed details surrounding his illness.
“This is an immeasurable loss to the Royal Family, the people of Tooro and the nation of Uganda,” Premier Rwomiire said.
He called upon the people of Tooro and the nation to remain united, calm and prayerful during the difficult period of mourning.
King Oyo reportedly spent time in the United States receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness before his death. Further details surrounding his final days and illness had not yet been made public.
King Oyo ascended to the Tooro throne in 1995 at the age of three, becoming one of the youngest monarchs in the world.
He was officially enthroned on September 12, 1995, following the death of his father, and was initially guided by regents because of his young age.
After attaining adulthood, King Oyo formally assumed the administration of the Kingdom in 2010.
His death brings to an end a reign of nearly 31 years, leaving the people of Tooro mourning a monarch who ascended to the throne as a child and grew into the role over more than three decades.
As the Kingdom begins preparations to mourn its fallen Omukama, attention is expected to turn to the succession process and the formal introduction of the Prince who has been identified as the heir to the Tooro throne.
