King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, the traditional ruler of Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom, died on August 27 at the age of 34 while undergoing treatment for aggressive cancer in the United States.
King Oyo had ascended the Tooro throne in 1995 at just three years old following his father’s death, earning recognition as the world’s youngest reigning monarch at the time.
His nine-day official mourning period began with the arrival of his remains, and burial is scheduled for September 12 at the Karambi Royal Tombs, a date that coincides with the anniversary of his coronation.
Did Museveni cry for King Oyo?
A chartered flight carrying his remains touched down at Entebbe International Airport on 4 September, where a sombre welcoming ceremony was held.
bers of the royal family, and senior government officials gathered on the tarmac to receive the coffin. A military helicopter subsequently transported King Oyo’s body to Kyegegwa in western Uganda, from where it travelled by road to the royal palace in Fort Portal, with grieving subjects lining the route. Among the images from the arrival ceremony, one in particular captured the attention of thousands of social media users.
Taken by the Uganda Media Centre, it showed Museveni bowing beside the flag-draped casket while wearing a face mask.
The official caption read:
“His Excellency @KagutaMuseveni, the President, steps forward to pay his final respects and lays a wreath on the casket, a gesture symbolising the nation’s gratitude and farewell to King Oyo. The atmosphere is heavy with reflection and tribute.”
What gripped viewers, however, was not the wreath-laying itself but something far more striking: the president’s eyes appeared visibly teary, a sight that many Ugandans and observers online said they had never witnessed before.
The image spread rapidly across X, drawing a wave of comments from users who were visibly moved by what they saw:
@agaba_on:
“I have never seen a teary Museveni, but look.”
@Ampeire_:
“Powerful image.”
@Pandaug1898392:
“I have never seen Museveni cry; look into his eyes.”
