KAMPALA — King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom, who became the world’s youngest reigning monarch after ascending the throne at the age of three, has died at 34.
The monarch died at about 10 p.m. local time on Thursday, according to the Prime Minister of the Tooro Kingdom, Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki, who announced his death in a post on X.
“It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that I announce the passing of His Majesty the Omukama of Tooro, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV,” Akiiki said.
No cause of death was immediately disclosed.
Oyo was crowned King of Tooro on September 12, 1995, following the death of his father, Rukirabasaija Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III.
Tooro is one of several traditional kingdoms in Uganda that were restored under the country’s republican system. Although the monarchies have no formal political authority, they retain significant cultural and social influence.
The Tooro Kingdom is located in western Uganda, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Before his death, Ugandan government minister Balaam Barugahara had said the king was receiving medical treatment in the United States.
Describing the monarch’s death as “an immeasurable loss,” Akiiki said the king had left an heir, assuring that the succession and continuity of the Tooro crown were secure.
Oyo, who was unmarried, had remained a prominent cultural figure in Uganda and attracted international attention after becoming the youngest reigning monarch in the world in 1995.
His death sparked widespread grief across Uganda, with political leaders, public figures and citizens paying tribute to the late monarch.
Uganda’s leading opposition figure and musician, Bobi Wine, described the news as devastating.
“Most devastating news! May His Majesty the King’s soul rest in eternal peace,” he said in a post on X.
In April, during celebrations marking Oyo’s birthday, the Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister had described the monarch as a young leader closely connected to the realities of his generation.
“Our King is not distant from the realities of his people; he is part of this generation, part of this ecosystem, growing, learning, and leading,” the Prime Minister had said.
He added that the king’s youth was “not a limitation” but a source of energy, fresh perspective and courage to envision a different future for Tooro.
CNN
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