🔴 King Oyo: Live updates of late Tooro monarch's final journey

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 8:37 AM    |    THE RITUALS AT BURIAL SITE

After this morning's funeral service at St John's Cathedral, mourners will form a procession behind the coffin for a 6km walk from the cathedral to the Karambi grounds on Kasese Road.

Dr Richard Rwabuhinga, the chairperson of the burial organizing committee, said the funeral is expected to draw about 100,000 people.

When King Oyo's body reaches Karambi, the ceremony will become more private. The royal tomb, or iziba, will have been carefully prepared before the body arrives.

The tomb is divided into two sections. The larger section measures about 6ft, while the smaller section is approximately 3ft.

Nine bark cloths will be placed in the main section. Before them, nine cow skins are laid along the walls of the tomb.

"The skins must come from cows that have never suffered a miscarriage, reflecting the traditional requirements surrounding the burial of a king. The tomb is cleaned and prepared with care," said Rev. Clovis Kyalimpa, the former Tooro Kingdom speaker.

Then comes the moment when the king is carried into his final resting place. There will be no ropes.

"Nine men will carry the omugutta into the iziba. Nine spears will also be placed inside," said Kyalimpa.

The number nine has echoed through the mourning period and returns in the burial rituals. Kyalimpa said the spears represent the king's continuing role as protector of his people.

"Even after death, the traditional king remains a guardian. The main section of the tomb will then be covered with the skin of a cow slaughtered on the night of the burial. The work inside the iziba will be performed by the Rwabaisanja, a traditional official who traditionally sits close to the king in the palace."

According to Kyalimpa, the small chamber of the iziba will hold some of the royal regalia, including the royal stool, the royal drum and the sword.

The stool represents the king's authority while the drum represents the institution of kingship. The sword represents his traditional responsibility to protect his people.

The arrival of the king's body at Karambi will be marked by a traditional exchange.

The body will be brought by the Omusuna, a traditional chief priest responsible for handling the king's body. At the tomb, the traditional custodian, known as Gasana, will formally receive the deceased monarch. 

Then comes a ritual conversation: "What brings you here?" Gasana asks.

The response is that the bearer has come to keep someone there. "Who is he?" comes the next question.

"It is King Oyo," will come the answer.

He will be questioned about the king and the circumstances of his death. For Kyalimpa, this will be more than a ceremonial dialogue.

"It is a conversation between the living and the departed, marking the king's transition from the palace to his eternal resting place," he said, adding that only a small group will witness what happens inside.

Those will include the omugutta, the Omusuna and his assistant, performers responsible for the nine rituals and designated protectors.

The religious leader will also enter the tomb to pray for the deceased king. But after the prayer, he will leave. He will not cast soil into the grave.

"The final moments are left to the traditional custodians," said Kyalimpa.
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 8:17 AM    |    CONCLUSION OF A CHAPTER

Today would have marked the 31st anniversary coronation (Empango) of King Oyo. It will instead mark the end of his remarkable three-decade reign; a day he is laid to rest following his death at the age of 34 in late August.

Oyo will be interred at Karambi Royal Tombs in Fort Portal city.

For nine days, Tooro Kingdom has mourned its monarch, with subjects and dignitaries filing through Karuziika Palace, the official residence of the king, to pay their last respects each day in memory of a king whose reign began on September 12, 1995.

Oyo ascended the throne at the age of three following the death of his father, Omukama Patrick Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III, becoming the youngest king in Tooro's history and one of the youngest traditional rulers in the world.

▪️ King Oyo: A life in pictures

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 8:00 AM    |    THE BOY WHO GREW INTO THE CROWN

This week's Weekend Vision has a special tribute on King Oyo. Be sure to read about the boy who grew into the crown, the monarch who put youth at the centre of Tooro, how he sought to transform education in Tooro and what next for the kingdom after his departure.

You can read the e-paper 👉🏽 HERE.


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 7:46 AM    |    SECURITY & TRAFFIC GUIDELINES

This graphic published by the Uganda Media Centre shows the security and traffic guidelines for today's burial ceremony:

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 7:42 AM    |    ST JOHN'S CATHEDRAL

Archbishop Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu of Church of Uganda will lead the final funeral service for King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV at St John’s Cathedral Fort Portal.

Oyo, who died on August 27 at the age of 34, will be laid to rest later on Saturday.

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 7:35 AM    |    A KING RESTS TODAY

Today, Best Kemigisa, Tooro's Queen Mother, will say her final goodbye to her beloved son. 

Today, the people of Tooro will bid farewell to their king.

Today, Uganda will send off a son of the soil.

Today, with the rest of the world keenly following, we shall say goodbye to Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.

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 7:30 AM     |    FINAL GOODBYE

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