FORT PORTAL — The late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of Tooro will be laid to rest on Saturday, September 12, 2026, following a funeral service at St John’s Cathedral, Kabarole, in Fort Portal City.
The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, The Most Rev. Dr Stephen Samuel Kazimba Mugalu, will lead the funeral and requiem service, supported by bishops from the region.
The Church of Uganda said the cathedral holds particular significance for King Oyo, who was baptised there as a baby in 1992.
St John’s Cathedral was built by Oyo’s grandfather, Omukama Rukidi III, Sir George David Mathew Kamurasi Rukidi III, who reigned over Tooro from 1929 to 1965.
The final burial programme will include afternoon prayers at the cathedral, followed by a procession of about six kilometres to the royal tombs, where King Oyo will be buried.
Rtd. Rev. Clovis Kyalimpa has provided details of the rites and traditions that will mark the final farewell to the former king.
The burial comes after days of mourning at Karuziika Palace, where elders and members of the public have gathered to pay their respects.
Daily prayers and nightly Ekyooto vigils have been held at the palace, bringing elders together to honour the late king, recount Babiito history and share royal traditions, including the use of Empaako names such as Amooti.
The Church of Uganda will also use the funeral to advance its environmental conservation campaign.
As part of its 15 Million Trees Campaign, the Church, working with young climate activist Talia Birungi Kandole Akiiki, will distribute more than 20,000 fruit and indigenous tree seedlings to mourners in honour of King Oyo’s legacy and his association with environmental conservation.
The Diocese of Ruwenzori has designated 95 acres of Church land for reforestation as part of the initiative.
The Church said the tree-planting campaign has received support from Roofings Group, Kijani Forestry, Good Forests Uganda and other contributors.
Meanwhile, people from different parts of Uganda have continued to visit Karuziika Palace, the traditional residence of the Tooro monarch, ahead of the burial.
King Oyo, who became Omukama of Tooro as an infant in 1995, was one of Uganda’s longest-serving traditional rulers. His death has brought together royal family members, cultural leaders, political figures, religious leaders and members of the public for the final ceremonies.
The burial at the royal tombs will mark the end of the public funeral rites for the late king, as Tooro prepares for the next chapter of its monarchy.