The body of late Tooro King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV has left the United States as preparations continue for his return to Uganda and the start of the kingdom’s official mourning period.
Video shared online showed the King’s coffin at a cargo facility in the United States, where friends, relatives and well-wishers gathered to bid farewell before the remains began the journey home.
The body is expected to arrive at Entebbe International Airport at around 10 a.m. on Friday, September 4, 2026. President Yoweri Museveni is expected to receive the remains at the airport and pay his respects.
From Entebbe, the body is expected to be flown to Kyegegwa, after which it will be transported by road to Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal City.
That journey will mark the beginning of a solemn period for the Tooro Kingdom, with cultural customs guiding how the late King’s remains will be handled once they reach the royal seat.
According to Tooro cultural customs, the body of a deceased King is required to remain at the official palace rather than being moved between different royal residences.
The formal nine-day mourning period is expected to begin once the body reaches Karuziika Palace. The remains will lie in state there, allowing mourners to pay their respects before the final burial rites.
After the period at the palace, the late King’s body will be transferred to the Karambi Royal Tombs, where he will be laid to rest.
The movement from the United States to Uganda therefore represents more than a return home. It begins the final ceremonial journey for a monarch whose remains will now be received according to the traditions and customs of the Tooro Kingdom.
With the arrival expected on Friday, attention now turns to Entebbe, Kyegegwa and Karuziika Palace as Tooro prepares to formally receive its late King and begin the mourning rites that will lead to his burial at the Karambi Royal Tombs.