news 28 August 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Tension at Tooro Palace as Access Restricted Following King Oyo's Death
Security forces restricted access to the Tooro Kingdom palace following the announcement of King Oyo's death, causing frustration among subjects and royal clan leaders. The Prime Minister is set to discuss burial arrangements with President Museveni. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/stand-off-as-tooro-palace-access-restricted-after-king-oyo-s-death-5574016
A tense situation unfolded at the gates of the Tooro Kingdom palace in Fort Portal City as security personnel, identified as UPDF officers, blocked access to the royal compound shortly after the death of Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV was announced. The restrictions prevented kingdom subjects, officials, and journalists from entering, sparking immediate concern and confrontation.
Charles Kamurasi, head of the Babiito royal clan and an uncle to the late King, arrived early and was initially allowed through the main gate, only to be stopped meters inside. He vocally questioned the orders, stating, “Since when did the palace become a barracks? This is our kingdom. People are being blocked from accessing it.” He demanded to know who had issued the directive.
While other officials, like the Deputy Prime Minister Harriet Nyakake, were eventually permitted entry, many ordinary subjects and members of the press were initially denied access. Some individuals arriving by vehicle were redirected to the kingdom’s administrative headquarters, Muchwa, where mourning activities are expected to be concentrated.
The restrictions caused considerable frustration among those gathered to mourn their monarch. “He has been our King. Why are people being blocked? Do they think we are going to steal something?” one resident expressed, highlighting the public’s dismay.
King Oyo, who ascended to the throne at the age of three in 1995 after the death of his father, King Patrick Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III, became the longest-reigning monarch in Tooro’s history. As of Friday morning, no official burial program had been announced. Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong indicated he was scheduled to meet with President Museveni to coordinate burial arrangements, having formally communicated the King’s death to the President.
Security remained visibly heightened around the palace, as kingdom officials began the delicate process of coordinating funeral rites and succession plans. The precise reasons for the access restrictions had not been officially disclosed by security officials at the time of reporting.