Lugbara cultural leaders have praised the people of Tooro for what they described as their unity, peace, hospitality and commitment to development, following their participation in the burial of the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
A delegation from the Lugbara Cultural Institution, led by Prime Minister Elly Ejiku Emo, and the Aringa Kingdom travelled to Fort Portal last week to attend the burial ceremony of the Tooro king. The delegation also participated in a traditional Lugbara mourning ritual known as Koliba, in which mourners tie a piece of cloth bearing the official colours of the king around their chest as a cultural expression of mourning.
King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV died on August 27, 2026, in the United States at the age of 34 after battling an aggressive form of cancer. He had reportedly received treatment in Germany and later in the United States, with support from the Ugandan government.
Speaking to journalists on Friday after returning from the burial, Emo, the Prime Minister of the Lugbara Cultural Institution under Agofe Manase Yuma Amuku, said the delegation was struck by the level of unity and organisation they witnessed among the people of Tooro during the period of mourning.
He said the late king’s legacy was evident in the manner in which his subjects came together to mourn him and receive visitors from different parts of the country.
Steven Nyatibo, the Speaker of Ayivu Chiefdom, who represented Lugbara Kari at the burial, also commended the people of Tooro for remaining united under their king.
Speaking in Lugbara Ti, Nyatibo said the experience offered an important lesson for the Lugbara people, particularly on the value of unity among cultural communities.
Meanwhile, Fadhil Lemeriga, the Prime Minister of Aringa Kingdom, said he was impressed by the unity demonstrated by the people of Tooro during the difficult period of mourning.
The cultural leaders said they were particularly impressed by the way the people of Tooro recognised and welcomed different cultural institutions and other mourners who travelled to pay their respects to the late king.
They described the gesture as a sign of respect for cultural diversity and said it was an example that other cultural institutions could embrace in strengthening unity and peaceful coexistence. The delegation’s visit also provided an opportunity for the Lugbara cultural leaders to share in the grief of the Tooro people while paying tribute to the late King Oyo and celebrating the cultural ties that exist among Uganda’s traditional institutions-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
