The body of Tooro King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru IV is expected to return to Uganda on Thursday as preparations continue for the late monarch’s funeral.
Yunus Kakande, deputy chairperson of the government-established King Oyo funeral committee, provided an update on the tentative arrangements on Monday, outlining the planned journey from the body’s arrival to the eventual burial.
According to Kakande, the body is expected to arrive from Nairobi at around 10 a.m. Thursday, although the schedule remains subject to change.
President Yoweri Museveni is expected to personally receive the body and pay his respects to the late monarch before the royal family and the people of Tooro.
“The president will receive the body in person and pay his tributes to the King before the royal family and the people of Tooro,” Kakande said.
After the arrival ceremony, the body will be airlifted by helicopter to Kyegegwa, marking the beginning of its journey into Tooro.
From there, the funeral committee plans to place the body on a carriage and transport it along the route to Fort Portal, giving Tooro subjects an opportunity to pay their respects and see their King for the final time.
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The procession will eventually reach Karuzika Palace, the official royal residence in Fort Portal. There, the body is expected to lie in mourning for nine days as the kingdom prepares for the final burial rites.
The nine-day mourning period will precede King Oyo’s burial at his ancestral burial ground, according to the tentative programme announced by the government.
The arrangements remain tentative, with the funeral committee indicating that the schedule could change. For now, Thursday is expected to mark the beginning of the late King Oyo’s final journey through Tooro.