Museveni Receives King Oyo’s Body at Entebbe After Delayed Flight

The mortal remains of the late Omukama of Tooro, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, finally arrived at Entebbe International Airport on Friday, following a significant flight delay that kept President Yoweri Museveni and senior government officials waiting for hours.

The casket touched down at the old Entebbe airport terminal at exactly 12:05 p.m. aboard a chartered Embraer 120 RT aircraft, operated by the Nairobi-based Freedom Airline Express. The arrival occurred more than two hours past the 10:00 a.m. schedule originally communicated by both the government and the Tooro Kingdom.  

President Museveni, who arrived at the airport’s VIP wing shortly before 10:00 a.m. to personally receive the body and pay his respects, waited alongside high-ranking officials and kingdom representatives under a tent erected at the terminal.  

Among the notable dignitaries who braved the wait was the 90-year-old Princess Elizabeth of Tooro. The government delegation included Minister of Tourism Tom Butime, Minister of Gender Henry Tumukunde, Minister of Local Government Balaam Barugahara, Minister for the Presidency Milly Babalanda, NRM Vice Chairperson Moses Kigongo, and Presidential Advisor Proscovia Nalweyiso.  

Following the brief airport reception, the fallen monarch’s final journey home commenced. The body was slated to be airlifted by a military helicopter directly to Kyegegwa District.  

Officials confirmed that no formal ceremonies would be held at the Kyegegwa Airstrip. Instead, the casket was to be transferred into a specialized hearse featuring a glass enclosure, allowing mourners lining the route to view it. The solemn road procession will pass through Kyegegwa, Kyenjojo, and Kabarole before finally entering Fort Portal City.  

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While the procession will not make scheduled stops, security forces including the Police and the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) will manage crowds and ensure the convoy moves slowly through designated towns, granting the Batooro subjects a chance to wave a final goodbye to their King.  

Cultural Rites and Burial

The procession is expected to conclude at the Karuziika Palace on Friday evening, where Omusuuga Charles Kamurasi Akiiki, head of the Babiito Royal Clan, alongside Tooro clan leaders, will lead the cultural reception.  

The casket will lie in state at the palace, where members of the public can pay their respects during the official nine-day mourning period, accompanied by evening prayers.  

King Oyo, who died in the United States on August 27 at the age of 34, will be laid to rest on September 12 at the Karambi Royal Tombs—a date that poignantly coincides with what would have been his 31st coronation anniversary. A funeral service will take place at 9:00 a.m. at St. John’s Cathedral in Fort Portal before the cultural burial rites and a final gun salute.