President Yoweri Museveni has urged the people of Tooro to use peaceful and legal means to resolve the succession of the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV and preserve unity in the kingdom.
In a condolence message read by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, during the funeral service at St John’s Cathedral in Fort Portal, Kabarole District, on Saturday, President Museveni described the late king as a good cultural leader who maintained cordial relations with the central government.
“He was a good leader of culture that never clashed with the central government because he kept in his lane of culture and mobilising people for development,” President Museveni said.
President Museveni described King Oyo’s death as a big loss to Tooro and Uganda and said the government would be ready to work with the new king once the succession matter is resolved.
“It is a big loss. May his soul rest in eternal peace,” he said.
President Museveni urged the Batoro to prioritise unity and avoid divisions, reminding them that traditional leaders restored in 1993 are mandated to promote culture, including indigenous languages and customs, rather than engage in politics, administration or legislation.
He said cultural leaders have a historic responsibility to ensure the survival of indigenous languages and customs while also encouraging their subjects to embrace wealth creation and development.
The President also used the occasion to call for renewed efforts to prevent diseases, particularly cancer, by addressing lifestyle and environmental factors that contribute to illness.
He urged medical professionals to educate the public about preventable causes of cancer and other diseases to enable Ugandans take measures to protect their health.
“As a Ugandan patriot and an African pan-Africanist, I abhor the idea of sickness that takes one day from my 65 years of struggle for those causes,” President Museveni said.
“Let us do our part and God does the rest. May the soul of Omukama Oyo rest in eternal peace,” he added.
Kaziimba calls for unity
In his sermon, the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, the Most Rev Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, urged the people of Tooro to remain united in their grief, saying the death of a cultural leader should bring people together rather than deepen divisions.
“In grief, unity is so key. Grief shouldn’t divide us; grief should bind us,” Archbishop Kaziimba said.
He urged mourners to allow their shared grief to strengthen relationships, promote reconciliation and encourage solidarity with the bereaved royal family and the people of Tooro.
Archbishop Kaziimba said moments of bereavement offer families, communities, cultural institutions and the country an opportunity to reflect on the values that unite them instead of allowing differences to deepen existing divisions.
He encouraged mourners to draw strength from King Oyo’s legacy and preserve the values he stood for throughout his reign.
The Archbishop said the loss of a king goes beyond the royal family, describing it as a moment of collective mourning for people whose lives, heritage and identity are connected to the institution he represented.
He urged leaders and citizens to avoid actions and statements that could create unnecessary divisions, saying grief should provide space for people to support and comfort one another.
Archbishop Kaziimba also reminded Christians that although death brings pain and sorrow, believers can find hope in God’s promise of eternal life.
He encouraged the bereaved royal family and the people of Tooro to remain strong in faith and entrust their grief to God.
The funeral service therefore became not only a moment to bid farewell to King Oyo, but also a call for unity, reconciliation and preservation of the bonds that hold the people of Tooro together.
