Rt. Hon. Dr Paul Mwambu to Lead Bamasaaba Delegation to Late Tooro King Oyo’s Burial

MBALE — The Prime Minister of the Bamasaaba Cultural Institution, Rt. Hon. Dr Paul Mwambu, will lead an official delegation representing the Bamasaaba community at the burial ceremonies of the late King of Tooro, His Majesty King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.

The delegation was constituted by His Highness the Umukuuka of the Bamasaaba, Jude Mike Mudoma III, according to the institution's spokesperson, Hon. Steven Masiga.

Speaking to Nile Chronicles by telephone from Mbale, Masiga said the Umukuuka had selected senior leaders from the Bamasaaba Cultural Institution to represent the entire Bugisu region and pay their final respects to the late Tooro monarch.

The delegation will be headed by Rt. Hon. Dr Paul Mwambu and will include the Minister for Culture, Hon. Moses Kutoi, and the Minister for Public Engagements, Hon. Irene Khainza Manghali. Masiga himself will also be part of the entourage following guidance from His Highness the Umukuuka.

The late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV reportedly passed away on August 27, 2026, at the age of 34, sending shockwaves across Uganda's cultural and traditional institutions.

Masiga said the Bamasaaba Cultural Institution considered it important to send a strong delegation to stand in solidarity with the people of Tooro because of the long-standing cultural, customary and traditional ties shared by the two communities.

“Bugisu and Tooro have enjoyed strong cultural, customary and traditional relations dating back centuries. We have shared ties through marriage, leadership and our respective cultural and traditional institutions,” Masiga said.

He noted that the relationship between the Bamasaaba and the people of Tooro extends beyond cultural exchanges, with several prominent Bamasaaba personalities having family connections with the Tooro region through marriage.

Masiga cited Hon. Stephen Wekomba of Elgon Millers among prominent Bamasaaba personalities with marital ties to Tooro, describing such relationships as evidence of the deep historical connections between the two communities.

He further observed that the late Tooro King belonged to Uganda's wider family of cultural and traditional leaders, adding that both the Bamasaaba and the people of Tooro share historical and linguistic connections as Bantu communities.

According to Masiga, the decision by the Umukuuka not to personally attend and participate in the burial rites is guided by the cultural protocols and traditions of the Bamasaaba.

“His Highness the Umukuuka, under Bamasaaba cultural protocols, cannot personally bury another cultural leader of the same status, as this is traditionally interpreted as signalling the end of his own kingdom,” Masiga explained.

He said the institution had therefore entrusted Rt. Hon. Dr Paul Mwambu and the other senior leaders with the responsibility of representing His Highness the Umukuuka and the entire Bamasaaba community during the burial ceremonies.

The delegation is expected to depart shortly for the burial ceremonies, carrying the condolences and solidarity of the Bamasaaba people to the royal family, the Kingdom of Tooro and all Ugandans mourning the passing of the monarch.

The Bamasaaba Cultural Institution's participation in the funeral ceremonies is expected to further demonstrate the unity and mutual respect that exists among Uganda's cultural and traditional institutions.

As Prime Minister of the Bamasaaba Cultural Institution, Rt. Hon. Dr Paul Mwambu will lead the delegation in conveying the Umukuuka's condolences and those of the Bamasaaba community to the people of Tooro during the period of mourning.

The delegation's journey to pay respects to the late monarch, Masiga said, represents not only an official cultural obligation but also a demonstration of the centuries-old bonds of friendship, family, culture and traditional leadership between Bugisu and Tooro. 

The Bamasaaba community joins the rest of Uganda in mourning the late King Oyo and extending heartfelt condolences to the Tooro royal family and the people of Tooro during this difficult period.