25 years of Oyo on throne: 200 guests to attend Empango
King Oyo of Toro ascended to the throne at the age of three in 1995 following his father's death, and this year, he is celebrating 25 years at the helm.
CULTURE
FORT PORTAL - Preparations are in high gear for the silver jubilee coronation celebrations of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru of Toro.
The function will be held scientifically - due to the coronavirus pandemic restrictions - this Saturday (September 12) at the Karuzika Palace in Fort Portal, Kabarole district.
King Oyo ascended to the throne at the age of three on September 12, 1995 following his father's death, and this year, he is celebrating 25 years at the helm.
Eddie Kasaija, the kindgom's youth minister and also the chairperson of the organising comittee, says that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the kingdom officials have only invited 200 guests to grace the event.
"The king usually hosts thousands of his subjects here at Karuzika during the Empango celebration, but this time around, the number has been limited to only 200 guests," says Kasaija.
Kasaija says the event will be broadcast on various media platforms for people to follow remotely.
For now, Oyo's main palace at Karuzika hill is being spruced up in the buildup to Saturday's function.
A number of broken glasses have been replaced and the interior and exterior of the facility are getting a lick of paint.
Charles Kamurasi, the head of the Babiito royal clan, says the ritual houses around the palace have also been renovated.
The Engineering Brigade of the Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF) is working around the clock to finish the construction of a perimeter wall around the palace.
The wall construction is a presidential pledge that was made in 2007. However, construction started this year.
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