Bamasaaba Cultural Institution Delivers Condolence Message to Tooro Royal Family

The Bamasaaba Cultural Institution has conveyed a message of condolence to the Royal Family and people of Tooro Kingdom following the death of His Majesty Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.

The message, signed by the Umukuuka of the Bamasaaba people, His Highness Jude Mike Mudoma, was delivered to the Tooro royal family by a delegation representing the cultural institution during the mourning period for the late monarch.

The spokesperson of the Bamasaaba Cultural Institution, Hon. Steven Masiga who was part of the delegation, told this publication that the delegation was received by the Prime Minister of Tooro Kingdom, Rt. Hon. Calvin Armstrong Rwomire Akiiki, before he read the Umukuuka's condolence message verbatim on behalf of the Bamasaaba cultural leadership and people.

King Oyo died on August 27, 2026, at the age of 34 while receiving medical treatment in the United States. He is to be laid to rest at the Karambi Royal Tombs in Fort Portal on September 12 following a period of national and cultural mourning.

In the condolence message, Umukuuka Mudoma described the death of King Oyo as a devastating loss not only to the Tooro Kingdom but also to Uganda and communities with historical and cultural ties to the Batooro.

“It is with a profound sense of grief and a heavy heart that on my own behalf and on behalf of our cabinet and the Bamasaba people extend our deepest, most sincere and heartfelt condolences following the devastating and untimely demise of your beloved sovereign His Majesty King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.”

Mudoma said the late monarch's death at a young age was particularly painful because of his dedication to the people of Tooro and his role as a cultural leader.

He described King Oyo as a “bright light” and a visionary leader who had become a source of hope to his people, adding that his death had generated grief beyond the borders of Tooro.

The Umukuuka further highlighted what he described as the historical, spiritual and cultural bonds between the Bamasaaba and Batooro.

According to the message, the two communities share a special connection through their mountainous homelands, with the Bamasaaba associated with the peaks of eastern Uganda around Mount Elgon and the Batooro associated with the Rwenzori Mountains in the west.

“We are collectively highlanders; this kinship of the mountains has always made us one in spirit. Today, as the mountains of the west weep, the mountains of the East mourn with you in true brotherhood,” Mudoma said.

The Umukuuka also recalled historical cooperation between Bugisu and Tooro, including what he described as collective efforts during the struggle against colonial rule.

He noted that the two communities share Bantu origins and have developed social and family connections over generations, including marriage ties between Bamasaaba and Batooro.

Mudoma said these historical links made the death of King Oyo a loss that was deeply felt among the Bamasaaba.

“Tooro and Bugisu have worked collectively from the time of fighting colonialists, and our Bantu origins bring us to each other,” the message stated.

The Umukuuka extended condolences not only to the Tooro Royal Family but also to the wider Tooro community living in Bugisu, Tooro and other parts of Uganda.

“We commiserate with the entire Tooro community in Bugisu, Tooro and Uganda during such a difficult moment,” he said.

The condolence message was delivered against the backdrop of nationwide mourning for King Oyo, who ascended the Tooro throne in 1995 at the age of three following the death of his father, Omukama Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III. He subsequently became internationally recognised as the world's youngest reigning monarch.

During his more than three decades on the throne, King Oyo was associated with initiatives promoting Tooro's cultural heritage, education, youth empowerment, environmental conservation, health and tourism. Parliament and other national institutions also paid tribute to his contribution to Tooro and Uganda following his death.

The Ugandan government has supported the official burial arrangements, with the late king's remains returned to Uganda before being taken to Tooro for the final ceremonies. He will be buried at the Karambi Royal Tombs on September 12.

For the Bamasaaba Cultural Institution, the delivery of the message represented an expression of solidarity between two traditional communities whose leaders view their historical and cultural ties as enduring.

The delegation's visit therefore served not only as a formal condolence gesture to the Tooro Royal Family, but also as an affirmation of the longstanding relationship between Bugisu and Tooro at a time when the Batooro were bidding farewell to their late monarch.