PICTURES: KING OYO’S FINAL JOURNEY BEGINS AS REMAINS ARRIVE IN UGANDA

President Museveni leads government and Tooro Kingdom officials in paying their respects as the remains of the late Omukama of Tooro, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, arrive at Entebbe International Airport on September 4, 2026. PHOTO/ PPU

DAILY MONITOR

A sombre mood engulfed Entebbe International Airport on Friday (September 4, 2026) afternoon as a charter aircraft carrying the remains of the late King of Tooro, Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, touched down, officially marking the start of his final journey.

The aircraft, a US-registered 5Y-FAM carrying the body of the 34-year-old monarch who passed away in Dallas, Texas, last week, landed at exactly 12:00 PM.

Visibly grief-stricken family members, senior government officials, and a select delegation of Tooro Kingdom leaders gathered near the airport’s VIP Lounge to receive the body. Among those present was President Yoweri Museveni, who had mentored the late King since his ascension to the throne in infancy.

At 12:15 PM, the aircraft taxied to a halt near the VIP Lounge. Officers from the Uganda Police Force, alongside staff from A-Plus Funeral Services, spent five minutes offloading the casket.

Once the casket reached the tarmac at 12:19 PM, four members of the royal family—dressed in traditional Tooro attire consisting of white kanzus and barkcloth—draped the casket in barkcloth before placing both the Ugandan and Tooro Kingdom flags over it.

A emotional moment unfolded at 12:20 PM when the Queen Mother, Best Kemigisha, accompanied by Princess Elizabeth Bagaya and other close relatives, broke down in tears while approaching the President. The Uganda Police Force Band then performed a solemn rendition, prompting further tears from the gathered mourners.

At 12:21 PM, President Museveni stepped forward to lay a wreath on the casket, removed his hat, and bowed in respect before returning to his seat.

Addressing the mourners shortly after, President Museveni reflected on his recent interactions with the late monarch regarding his health. “They met me in November last year while I was on my campaigns and informed me about his sickness,” President Museveni stated. “I made sure that the government supported his medical treatment, first in Germany, and later in the USA where he breathed his last.”

Following his brief remarks, the President held a private meeting inside the VIP Lounge with key figures, including the Queen Mother, King Oyo’s sister Princess Ruth Komuntale, and her husband.

While the meeting was underway, religious leaders and kingdom officials gathered near the tarmac as preparations were made for the next leg of the journey.

At 12:43 PM, members of the royal Babiito clan, assisted by police officers, began loading the casket onto a UPDF military helicopter (AF-625). The process was completed by 12:47 PM.

President Museveni emerged from the VIP Lounge at 12:55 PM, escorting the delegation to the helicopter and ensuring that all designated family members and clan leaders were safely onboard.

The portrait of the King of Tooro, Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, after he remains arrived at Entebbe International Airport on September 4, 2026. PHOTO/PPU

At exactly 1:15 PM—75 minutes after the remains first touched down on Ugandan soil—the military helicopter took off for Humura Playgrounds in Kyegegwa District, where the late King’s subjects waited to pay their final respects.

President Museveni leads government laying a wreath on the Casket containing the  remains of the late Omukama of Tooro, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV at Entebbe International Airport on September 4, 2026. NILE POST PHOTO

Written by newsroom-radiopacis