When King Oyo fasted for 6 days as Museveni mocked his protest over assets

In July 2014, Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of Tooro Kingdom embarked on a six-day fast to protest what he described as the division of his ancestral territory.

The protest followed the formal recognition of two new cultural institutions — Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu in Kasese and Obudhingiya Bwa Bwamba in Bundibugyo.

The two areas had historically been part of Tooro before the abolition of kingdoms in 1967. Their recognition as separate cultural institutions was therefore viewed by Tooro Kingdom officials as an encroachment on the kingdom’s traditional territory.

President Yoweri Museveni, who had been one of Oyo’s official guardians since the young monarch ascended the throne in 1995, attended the installation of Bamba King Maj. Martin Kamya.

For Oyo and sections of his subjects, the President’s involvement in the ceremony was particularly provocative. They regarded the creation and recognition of the new cultural institutions as an attempt to carve up Tooro’s historical boundaries.

The kingdom subsequently prepared a public response. Then Tooro premier Dr Stephen Kaliba announced that Oyo would fast to express his displeasure over the creation of the new cultural institutions without consultation, as well as the delayed return of kingdom assets that had been seized decades earlier.

The plan was announced in June 2014, and on July 14, Oyo began the six-day fast at Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal. He invited his subjects and religious leaders to join him, declaring that “a king does not fast alone.”

Oyo spent the days in prayer, intercession and listening to testimonies from those who visited the palace. He broke his fast each evening with a simple meal shared with his supporters.

Religious leaders from different denominations also visited the palace to express solidarity with the young monarch.

Museveni’s response

Museveni, however, appeared to dismiss the protest. Commenting on Oyo’s decision to fast, the President told journalists at his Rwakitura home that the exercise would benefit the young king physically.

“If my son has decided to fast, I don’t mind, let him fast, it will help him shape up and be healthy,” Museveni said.

The remark angered sections of the Tooro community and was widely viewed by the kingdom’s supporters as an insult to the institution of the Omukama and the grievances behind the fast.

Protests were subsequently held in Fort Portal, with police firing teargas and arresting at least four people. Tooro Kingdom officials demanded an apology, arguing that Museveni’s comments trivialised concerns over the kingdom’s territorial integrity and outstanding assets.

Oyo completed the six-day fast, but the underlying dispute was not resolved. The two cultural institutions remained in place, while the question of kingdom assets continued to simmer.

Years later, in 2019, Oyo and Museveni signed a Memorandum of Understanding intended to address some of the outstanding issues. Progress on the assets has, however, remained slow, with verification exercises and further discussions continuing into the 2020s.

The 2014 confrontation remains one of the most visible moments of tension between the Tooro throne and the Central Government during Oyo’s reign.

Yet the dispute did not permanently rupture the relationship between the young monarch and Museveni. The President’s longstanding role as one of Oyo’s guardians helped preserve their personal relationship despite the political and cultural disagreements.

For many in Tooro, however, the six-day fast remains a defining episode in Oyo’s reign — a moment when a young King turned to prayer and self-denial to protest what he believed was an assault on the historical integrity of his kingdom.

The post When King Oyo fasted for 6 days as Museveni mocked his protest over assets appeared first on The Observer Media Ltd.