By Johannah Nantongo

FORT PORTAL — The body of the late Tooro King, Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, is expected to arrive in Uganda on Thursday, September 3, 2026, ushering in nine days of official mourning for the fallen monarch.

Hajji Yunus Kakande, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President, said President Yoweri Museveni will receive the King’s remains at Entebbe International Airport upon arrival from the United States.

The body will then be transported to Kyenjojo District, where Tooro subjects and members of the public will be allowed to view the remains and pay their final respects.

From Kyenjojo, the body will be taken to Karuzika Palace in Fort Portal, the traditional seat of the Tooro Kingdom, where preparations for the burial and other final rites will continue.

Several traditional and cultural ceremonies are expected to be conducted in accordance with Tooro customs before the late King is laid to rest.

MPs seek cancer centre in Tooro

As preparations for the King’s return continue, Members of Parliament from the Tooro sub-region have called on the government to establish a specialised cancer treatment centre in the region in his memory.

The legislators say the facility would provide a lasting legacy for Omukama Oyo while addressing the shortage of specialised cancer services in Tooro and surrounding areas.

They argue that establishing the centre would help patients from the region access specialised treatment closer to home, reducing the need to travel long distances to Kampala or other parts of the country for care.

The proposal has also been presented as part of efforts to turn the mourning period into an opportunity to address some of the longstanding development and healthcare needs of the people of Tooro.