At 34, most lives are only beginning to make their mark. Families are still young, careers are approaching mid-level leadership, and those entering public life are serving their first terms and learning from seasoned leaders.
That is what makes the life and leadership of His Majesty Rukirabasaija Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV so extraordinary.
Fate placed the crown upon his head before he could string together more than a few sentences.
Following the sudden death of his father, Omukama Patrick David Matthew Olimi Kaboyo III, the weight of an entire people, culture and civilisation rested upon his toddler shoulders.
Saturday, September 12 was meant to be the 31st anniversary of his Empango, an occasion that I, like countless others, awaited with great anticipation.
Instead, we find ourselves trapped in a cruel reality, bidding our beloved king a final farewell.
These are the mysterious ways of the Lord. No earthly explanation could ever make sense of the devastating blow dealt to Tooro Kingdom, Uganda and the wider world that came to know, experience and love King Oyo during his short life.
I have been reflecting quietly on the initiatives His Majesty leaves behind and shuddering at the inflection point at which God chose to call him home.
Speaking with mourners since that fateful Thursday night, I have repeatedly used the aeroplane analogy: King Oyo had completed the difficult ascent and brought Tooro within a few nautical miles of cruising altitude.
The youth centres, ICT hubs, agricultural initiatives anchored by the King Oyo Model Farm in Bugaaki, and the distribution of coffee and cocoa seedlings to farmers across Tooro’s nine counties are only a few examples of that ascent.
Omukama Oyo had successfully brought the kingdom closer to its people.
His leadership was becoming increasingly deliberate in ensuring Obukama played a meaningful role in their everyday lives.
Through kingdom bursaries, young people gained access to education.
Through the Amasaza Football Tournament, communities were united through sport. There is much more I could say, but this article has a word limit.
It was his determination to bring tangible transformation to the people of Tooro that compelled me to accept an appointment to His Majesty’s cabinet as minister of information.
I believed I had something meaningful to contribute through nearly 10 years of experience in marketing communications, my love for Tooro, our culture and civilisation, my command of Rutooro orthography, and my networks.
The induction of a cabinet minister in Tooro follows an elaborate cultural ceremony at Karuziika.
It includes kugenda ha musanga (kneeling before the Omukama) and kunywegera ebitale bya Rukirabasaija (kissing the palms of His Majesty).
This is witnessed by one’s family, relatives and friends, followed by a celebration at home announcing that the King’s Igaatwa, his chief, now lives among the people and may be approached on matters concerning the kingdom. For me, that moment never came.
The king before whom I had waited to kneel and be formally inducted into his cabinet is the same king I must now bid farewell.
There are moments in life when the word pain feels like a gross understatement.
This is one of them. Serving His Majesty, even for only a few months, has been the greatest honour of my life. His passing has shaken me to my core.
I never imagined that someone only a few months older than me could slip away so suddenly.
May God grant you eternal rest, Your Majesty. May your vision endure, and may your legacy outlive every generation gathered here to mourn you. Ogoroobe Agutamba!