news 3 September 2026 Nile Post

Elly Karuhanga's Heartfelt Tribute to the Late King Oyo of Tooro

Veteran lawyer Elly Karuhanga has shared a deeply personal eulogy for the late King Oyo of Tooro, reflecting on his long-standing relationship with the royal family and mourning the loss of a monarch he watched grow from a child king to a respected cultural leader. Source: https://nilepost.co.ug/news/368765/you-leave-behind-the-footprints-of-a-king-elly-karuhanga-mourns-king-oyo

Veteran lawyer and corporate figure Elly Karuhanga has expressed profound grief following the passing of His Majesty King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of Tooro. Karuhanga described his pain as particularly acute due to his intimate, multi-generational connection with the royal family.

“There are moments when words become too small for grief. The passing of His Majesty King Oyo is such a moment,” Karuhanga stated in his eulogy, emphasizing his personal sorrow alongside his roles representing the Consulate General of Seychelles and Kampala Associated Advocates.

Karuhanga recounted his close friendship with King Oyo’s late father, King Kaboyo, and highlighted his enduring relationships with Queen Mother Best Kemigisa and Princess Elizabeth Bagaya. This deep familial bond meant he witnessed King Oyo’s life not just as a royal narrative, but as the growth of a young man within a cherished circle.

He vividly recalled Oyo inheriting the throne as a child following his father’s death in 1995. “Most children inherit toys. Oyo inherited a kingdom,” Karuhanga noted, reflecting on the immense weight placed upon the young monarch’s shoulders.

Karuhanga credited Queen Mother Best Kemigisa for her integral role in shaping King Oyo, instilling in him the core values and traditions of the Batooro. These qualities, he observed, became intrinsically part of Oyo, making his kingship appear effortless.

“Your Majesty, you came to the throne as a child. You leave behind the footprints of a King,” Karuhanga concluded, acknowledging the deep void left by the monarch’s death. “An absence that leaves an empty space in the heart of a Kingdom.”