Tooro Kingdom has revealed that the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV personally directed that information about his illness should not be made public, ending days of questions over why his deteriorating health was kept from his subjects.
The Kingdom’s Prime Minister (Omuhikirwa), Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire, said officials who communicated that the King was abroad for studies and later that he was in good health were acting on the late monarch’s express instructions.
Rwomiire said respecting the King’s wishes and protecting his privacy was part of his responsibility as a person serving the monarch.
“The information communicated to the public that His Majesty was abroad studying, and subsequently that he was well, was communicated in accordance with His Majesty’s express wishes and direction,” Rwomiire said.
“As someone serving him, it was my responsibility to respect his wishes and protect his privacy. I did so faithfully and respectfully.”
The explanation comes as questions continue to surround King Oyo’s prolonged stay abroad and the absence of public information about his health before his death.
King believed he would recover
Rwomiire said the decision was not intended to deceive the people of Tooro, arguing that the late King genuinely believed he would recover and return home.
According to the Prime Minister, Oyo had been looking forward to returning to Tooro and reuniting with his subjects for the 31st Empango celebrations.
“I am also confident that His Majesty acted in good faith. He was confident in his recovery and was looking forward to returning home and reuniting with his people for the 31st Empango. He did not want to cause unnecessary alarm among his people,” Rwomiire said.
The remarks provide the Kingdom’s first detailed explanation for its public messaging about the King’s health and are likely to shape the debate over how his illness was handled.
For the Kingdom leadership, however, the immediate priority is mourning rather than revisiting the decisions made while Oyo was receiving treatment abroad.
‘Now is not the time for competing narratives’
Rwomiire appealed to Kingdom leaders, cultural leaders, public officials, journalists and social media users to exercise restraint, warning against turning the King’s death into a platform for disagreements, speculation and competing accounts.
He said questions requiring clarification would be addressed at an appropriate time and through the proper forum after the burial.
“There will be a proper time and forum, after His Majesty has been laid to rest, to address any matters that require clarification. For now, everything else is secondary,” he said.
The appeal reflects growing sensitivity around the circumstances surrounding Oyo’s final months, with public discussion likely to intensify as the Kingdom begins the process of transitioning from mourning to questions about its future.
Rwomiire also asked for privacy for the Royal Family and people who were closest to the late King, saying they should be allowed to grieve without pressure to publicly explain events surrounding his illness and death.
Tooro prepares for Oyo’s final journey
The statement comes as Tooro prepares to receive the King’s body on Friday, September 4, ahead of burial arrangements.
Rwomiire urged the people of the Kingdom to put aside controversy and focus on giving Oyo a dignified farewell.
“Our duty now is simple: to receive our King with honour, lay him to rest with dignity, and stand together as one people,” he said.
He said the King’s final days should be remembered for unity, dignity and respect rather than controversy.
“Until His Majesty has been laid to rest, let us remain united and focused on giving him the peaceful and honourable farewell he deserves. In all that we say and do, Tooro must come first.”
The explanation places the late King’s own wishes at the centre of the Kingdom’s decision not to publicly disclose his illness, while leaving broader questions about communication, succession and the handling of his final months for discussion after his burial.
