Oyo, the child king becomes an adult
KING Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV was born on April 16, 1992 to King Patrick Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III and Queen Best Kemigisa. Three and half years later in 1995, Oyo ascended to the throne and became the 13th ruler of the 180-year-old Toro kingdom.
BY HOPE MAFARANGA
KING Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV was born on April 16, 1992 to King Patrick Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III and Queen Best Kemigisa. Three and half years later in 1995, Oyo ascended to the throne and became the 13th ruler of the 180-year-old Toro kingdom.
He is the youngest ruling monarch worldwide. In the Guinness Book of records, he took the spot of youngest king from Mswati III of Swaziland who was crowned king when he was 18.
At first glance, he looks like any other teenager. He plays video games, reads the Twilight vampire books and plays soccer in his backyard. Yet looks can be deceitful.
People world over know that teenager as King Oyo, the youngest ruling monarch. He is the cultural leader of more than two million people in Toro, one of the four kingdoms in Uganda.
King Oyo has a palace on Harukoto Hill in Fort Portal town. However, because he studies in Kampala, he spends less time here as compared to the palace in Munyonyo, Kampala.
There are two sides to King Oyo’s life. At the Aga Khan International School in Kampala, fellow students do not call him king and he tries to lead a simple life. Schoolmates greet him with hugs and handshakes. “My friends at school don’t care that I am a king. They treat me like any other student,†he says.
But back in Toro, he is the king and is not allowed to smile in public. His subjects prostrate and kiss his feet.
King Oyo ascended to the throne on April 17, 1995 after the death of his father. During his coronation, the toddler sat on a miniature throne and played with toys after a mock battle with a “rebel†prince.
At one point, His Majesty ran from the throne and climbed onto his mother’s lap. He was scared of a lion-skin crown that was too heavy for his little head. “I was scared of the lion and the leopard skin that was placed on my chair and head, I had to run for my safety,†he recalls.
The next day, King Oyo attended a meeting with cabinet members and he had no idea what they were discussing. It took him years to understand what was happening. “I realised when I was about seven years old that I was king and my life was going to be different. I also realised that I would have many responsibilities in future and the people of Toro would look up to me.â€
The six-foot-tall king, who sits on a throne draped with leopard skin and wears a blue and gold royal robe, oversees a cabinet that includes a prime minister, board of regents and councillors. The President, Yoweri Museveni, and Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gadaffi are among his advisors.
King Oyo oversees efforts to raise money for projects such as health and education. He also implements programmes to boost cultural pride.
“I want to build modern schools and hospitals to improve the service delivery to my people,†he says.
The king has been making decisions with the help of advisers and the queen mother. However, today, as he turns 18, he will become the sole decision-maker. “It’s a huge responsibility, but I have support from my mother, advisers and the cabinet,†he says.
As a king, Oyo’s subjects will give him livestock and spears. He will also continue receiving Government protection, but he is not used to the security detail. “At times, I want to be on my own, but I can’t because the security guys are always around,†he says.
His subjects expect a lot from him. Most people in the kingdom, like most parts of Uganda, live in poverty. The Batooro hope that the young king will transform his people socially and economically.
KING Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV was born on April 16, 1992 to King Patrick Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III and Queen Best Kemigisa. Three and half years later in 1995, Oyo ascended to the throne and became the 13th ruler of the 180-year-old Toro kingdom.
He is the youngest ruling monarch worldwide. In the Guinness Book of records, he took the spot of youngest king from Mswati III of Swaziland who was crowned king when he was 18.
At first glance, he looks like any other teenager. He plays video games, reads the Twilight vampire books and plays soccer in his backyard. Yet looks can be deceitful.
People world over know that teenager as King Oyo, the youngest ruling monarch. He is the cultural leader of more than two million people in Toro, one of the four kingdoms in Uganda.
King Oyo has a palace on Harukoto Hill in Fort Portal town. However, because he studies in Kampala, he spends less time here as compared to the palace in Munyonyo, Kampala.
There are two sides to King Oyo’s life. At the Aga Khan International School in Kampala, fellow students do not call him king and he tries to lead a simple life. Schoolmates greet him with hugs and handshakes. “My friends at school don’t care that I am a king. They treat me like any other student,†he says.
But back in Toro, he is the king and is not allowed to smile in public. His subjects prostrate and kiss his feet.
King Oyo ascended to the throne on April 17, 1995 after the death of his father. During his coronation, the toddler sat on a miniature throne and played with toys after a mock battle with a “rebel†prince.
At one point, His Majesty ran from the throne and climbed onto his mother’s lap. He was scared of a lion-skin crown that was too heavy for his little head. “I was scared of the lion and the leopard skin that was placed on my chair and head, I had to run for my safety,†he recalls.
The next day, King Oyo attended a meeting with cabinet members and he had no idea what they were discussing. It took him years to understand what was happening. “I realised when I was about seven years old that I was king and my life was going to be different. I also realised that I would have many responsibilities in future and the people of Toro would look up to me.â€
The six-foot-tall king, who sits on a throne draped with leopard skin and wears a blue and gold royal robe, oversees a cabinet that includes a prime minister, board of regents and councillors. The President, Yoweri Museveni, and Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gadaffi are among his advisors.
King Oyo oversees efforts to raise money for projects such as health and education. He also implements programmes to boost cultural pride.
“I want to build modern schools and hospitals to improve the service delivery to my people,†he says.
The king has been making decisions with the help of advisers and the queen mother. However, today, as he turns 18, he will become the sole decision-maker. “It’s a huge responsibility, but I have support from my mother, advisers and the cabinet,†he says.
As a king, Oyo’s subjects will give him livestock and spears. He will also continue receiving Government protection, but he is not used to the security detail. “At times, I want to be on my own, but I can’t because the security guys are always around,†he says.
His subjects expect a lot from him. Most people in the kingdom, like most parts of Uganda, live in poverty. The Batooro hope that the young king will transform his people socially and economically.