Batoro on what they will miss about the late King Oyo

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The rumours began quietly, then spread across the country like a storm: King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukiidi IV had died.

For hours, residents struggled to believe what they were hearing. Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukiidi IV, the young King who had occupied the Toro throne for more than three decades, was dead.

Some dismissed the reports as social media speculation. Others called friends and relatives for confirmation. Messages circulated, were deleted and then resurfaced.

Then came the denials. For a kingdom accustomed to seeing its young King at public functions, greeting people and carrying the symbols of Tooro, the uncertainty was almost as painful as the news itself.

Finally, Toro Kingdom confirmed that the 34-year-old Omukama had died, turning what had been whispered as a rumour into a reality the Batooro could no longer escape.

Fort Portal, the kingdom’s cultural capital, slipped into mourning. The streets that had often come alive whenever the King appeared were subdued. Conversations turned to memories of the man behind the crown — his smile, humility, accessibility and the pride he inspired among his people.

For many Batoro, Oyo was not simply the man who sat on the throne. He was the King they had watched grow up.

He became Omukama at just three years old in 1995 and grew into the role in full public view. Generations of Batoro therefore knew no other King.

Now, they are being forced to imagine Tooro without him.

‘I will miss his humility’

For John Kato, a resident of Fort Portal, it was Oyo’s humility that made him stand out.

“I will miss his humility. Despite being a King, Oyo was a very approachable person. You could see him moving among ordinary people without behaving as if he was above them. That is something that made many of us love him,” he said.

It was an image repeated by several residents: the King not as a distant figure behind palace walls, but as someone they could see and relate to.

Margaret Nyirabirungi, a teacher in Fort Portal, said she would miss his presence at public functions.

“I will miss seeing the King at public functions. His presence alone gave us a sense of pride as people of Tooro. Whenever he appeared in his royal attire, you felt that our culture was alive,” she said.

For businessman Richard Asiimwe, it was the King’s smile that stood out.

“I will miss his smile and the way he greeted people. He had a way of making you feel important, regardless of who you were. We have lost a King, but we have also lost someone who represented the identity of Tooro,” he said.

That sense of identity runs deep in the kingdom. The King is not only a political or administrative figure. For many Batooro, the Omukama embodies their history, culture and sense of belonging.

For many young people, Oyo’s story was particularly personal. Amon Tumusiime, a youth leader, said the late King demonstrated that age did not have to limit one’s influence.

“I will miss the way Oyo inspired young people. He became King when he was very young, but he grew into the responsibility and showed us that age does not necessarily determine the impact someone can have,” he said.

Grace Nyakato, a university student, said many young people felt connected to Oyo because they had watched him grow.

“I will miss having a young King whom young people could identify with. Oyo grew up with us and became part of our generation. His death feels very personal to many young people in Tooro,” she said.

The drums, regalia and pride

For Agnes Kemigisa, the memories are inseparable from the sounds and spectacle of the Tooro Kingdom.

“I will miss the royal events, the drums and the excitement whenever the King came out. Those moments reminded us of where we come from. Oyo was not simply an individual; he was a symbol of our culture,” she said.