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Uganda Buries 'Boy King' Whose Death Sparked Succession Battle
Developing
In Short: The funeral of King Oyo of the Tooro Kingdom in Uganda has begun, marking the end of a reign that began when he was just three years old and ended in controversy.
Uganda is burying King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, a traditional monarch who ascended the throne of the Tooro Kingdom as an infant in 1995 and died last month at 34. His death has triggered a succession dispute that has rocked the royal family and gripped the entire nation, according to reports.
Queen Mother Best Kemigisa expressed that the succession battle had undermined their ability to mourn the king’s death, stating, 'Let us grieve and bury my son King Oyo.
The traditional kingdoms in Uganda were banned after independence from British colonial rule by a republican president who wanted to unify the country, but they were restored in 1993. Oyo was crowned at the age of three after his father’s death in 1995.
His death has sparked a succession battle that has divided the royal family and the nation, highlighting the enduring cultural significance of traditional monarchies in Uganda despite their lack of formal power.
What's confirmed
- The funeral is underway in western Uganda for a traditional monarch who ascended the throne of the Tooro Kingdom as an infant in 1995 and died last month at 34.
What's still developing
- FILE - Uganda's King of the Tooro Kingdom, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, during his 18th birthday at Fort Portal, Uganda, Saturday, April 17, 2010 as he assumed the full duties of King of the Tooros.
Sources
- Temple Daily Telegramlink