For three decades, the relationship between President Museveni and the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV was intertwined with the history of Tooro Kingdom’s restoration, its relationship with the central government and the young monarch’s efforts to position the kingdom for development.
King Oyo, who died on Thursday night, August 27, 2026, aged 34, was enthroned on September 12, 1995, at the age of three, following the death of his father, King Patrick Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III.
He reigned for almost 31 years, making him one of the longest-serving traditional rulers of his generation.
His death has therefore brought to an end a remarkable chapter in Uganda’s modern history, one that began with a child king and saw him grow into an adult monarch who had to navigate royal family disputes, the recovery of kingdom properties, relations with government and an ambitious development agenda.
Museveni as Oyo’s ‘Omukuza’
President Museveni’s relationship with King Oyo dates back to his late father, Patrick Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III, whom the President appointed as Uganda’s ambassador to Cuba before the restoration of the kingdom. He served in the diplomatic post until the time of Oyo’s birth on April 16, 1992.
On the day of Oyo’s enthronement on September 12, 1995, Museveni became the Mujwara Kondo, or crown bearer, and was named Omukuza, a traditional role associated with nurturing, guiding and safeguarding the young monarch.
The President maintained a close relationship with the young king during his formative years, particularly as Oyo was still a minor and the kingdom was being managed through regents.
When Oyo reached the age of 18 in 2010, President Museveni attended his 15th coronation anniversary, marking another important moment in the relationship between the State and the Tooro monarchy.
The President also continued to maintain contact with the kingdom through representatives whenever he could not personally attend Oyo’s coronation anniversaries.
At Oyo’s 30th coronation anniversary last year, for instance, President Museveni was expected to be the chief guest but delegated the then Speaker of Parliament, Anita Annet Among, to represent him.
A royal family dispute
Museveni’s involvement with Tooro was not limited to ceremonial occasions.
In 2013, a dispute erupted within the royal family when Oyo’s cousin, Prince David Kaijanangoma, challenged the King’s leadership, accusing him of incompetence and failure to spend sufficient time in the kingdom.
The dispute attracted the support of a section of royal family members and some Batooro, creating tensions around the kingdom’s leadership.
Prince David also attempted to organise his own coronation-related activities in Fort Portal, but several of his efforts were stopped by security operatives between 2014 and 2016.
The dispute escalated in March 2015 when Prince David was arrested and charged with criminal trespass over allegations that he intended to overthrow King Oyo.
The two sides eventually sought Museveni’s intervention.
In 2015, Oyo and Prince David met the President, who subsequently established a committee headed by Bishop Reuben Kisembo of the Ruwenzori Diocese of the Church of Uganda to investigate the disagreements within the kingdom and make recommendations.
The intervention helped open the way for reconciliation.
In April 2017, Prince David again called for dialogue with King Oyo and sought the President’s support. By February 2019, he had publicly declared peace with his brother.
The battle for kingdom properties
Another major issue that shaped the relationship between King Oyo and the central government was the question of Tooro Kingdom properties.
Following the restoration of traditional institutions in 1993, the kingdom maintained that a large portion of its properties had remained in the hands of the central government.
The recovery of the properties subsequently became one of the key priorities of the Oyo administration.
In 2017, a 17-member committee was established to negotiate with the government over the return of the kingdom’s properties.
The negotiations culminated in a Memorandum of Understanding signed between President Museveni and King Oyo in 2019 at State House, Kampala.
The government also provided Shs2 billion to the kingdom, which was used to renovate some of its infrastructure.
The process of identifying and verifying the properties, however, did not end with the signing of the MoU.
In 2020, the government launched a verification exercise led by the then State Minister for Lands, Persis Namuganza.
By the time of King Oyo’s death, about 17 land titles had reportedly been returned to the kingdom, while the wider verification and recovery process remained ongoing.
The final years: development and tourism
In the final years of his reign, Oyo’s engagements with President Museveni increasingly focused on development, tourism and the economic future of Tooro.
One of the most significant meetings took place on May 16, 2025, at the President’s State Lodge in Fort Portal City, where Museveni held a closed-door meeting with King Oyo and Queen Mother Best Kemigisa during his tour of the region under the Parish Development Model programme.
After the meeting, Museveni said discussions had focused on strengthening tourism in Tooro.
The President said they had discussed the construction of a stadium in Fort Portal and the expansion of the existing aerodrome into an airport to boost tourism.
He also said the two sides had agreed to address land-related disputes involving the kingdom and establish common ground for peaceful coexistence between the kingdom and local governments.
‘We discussed constructing a stadium in Fort Portal and expanding the aerodrome into an airport to enhance tourism.’
The President also said the discussions covered the kingdom’s land issues.
King Oyo confirmed that the question of kingdom properties was raised, noting that it had remained unresolved since the 2019 MoU.
The King also raised the revival of plans for Tooro to co-host the World Monarchs Summit, which had been planned for 2026.
Oyo offered land for stadium
King Oyo told Museveni that he was willing to contribute kingdom land for the construction of a modern stadium, which he viewed as an opportunity for Tooro to benefit from preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations 2027.
‘I informed His Excellency and the First Lady of my contribution of land for the construction of a modern stadium in Fort Portal. This initiative will enable the kingdom to capitalise on opportunities associated with hosting the Africa Cup of Nations,’ he posted on X.
Earlier this year, the Tooro Kingdom handed over the land title to the government, fulfilling the commitment King Oyo had made during the May 2025 meeting.
A final commitment to Tooro’s development
On September 15, 2025, three days after Oyo’s 30th coronation anniversary, Museveni again met the King at State House.
Although the President had delegated Speaker Anita Annet Among to represent him at the coronation, he later met Oyo and reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the kingdom’s development plans.
‘During our discussion, we explored the Kingdom’s framework and expressed our commitment to supporting it. We also agreed to collaborate in the areas of agriculture, education, sports, and tourism,’ the President posted on X.
Oyo attended the meeting with Queen Mother Best Kemigisa, Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki, Princess Royal Nsemere Ruth Komuntale Farquharson Akiiki, her husband, Duke Phillip Farquharson Amooti, and Jamari Mathew Farquharson Adyeri.
Museveni said the meeting explored the kingdom’s development framework and identified areas where the government and the kingdom could work together.
‘We also agreed to collaborate in the areas of agriculture, education, sports, and tourism,’ the President said.
According to the kingdom’s Prime Minister, Mr Calvin Armstrong, the same meeting resulted in the current Youth Economic Empowerment Programme, which the late King lobbied the President to implement.
The programme is aimed at empowering hundreds of young people through agriculture, entrepreneurship and skills development in support of the Kingdom’s 25-year Development Plan.
He explained that the empowerment programme will benefit youth groups in all nine counties of Tooro Kingdom. The initiative will include the distribution of three million coffee seedlings, two million cocoa seedlings and three million chickens, while also supporting 50,000 young people in agriculture.