I was Not Informed About Oyo’s Sickness -Prince Kamurasi

Tensions are mounting within Tooro Kingdom, with senior royal leaders and council members raising questions over how information about the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV’s illness and death was handled. 

Omusuga Charles Kamurasi, the Chief Prince and head of the Babiito clan, says he was kept in the dark about the King’s health and only learnt of his death last Thursday while meeting the Bishop of Fort Portal Diocese. 

Kamurasi made the revelations in an emotional address to the Kingdom’s supreme council, Orukurato, on Wednesday evening, where he questioned why key members of the Kingdom’s leadership were not informed about the King’s condition. He particularly criticised the leadership of Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomire, saying he had previously sought answers over the failure of the council to convene and the King’s prolonged stay abroad.

Kamurasi said he wrote to the Prime Minister as early as May seeking an explanation about the circumstances surrounding the King’s absence and the inactivity of the council. For Kamurasi, the lack of information was particularly painful because of his close personal connection to the late monarch. He broke down during his address as he recalled how he became involved in the life of King Oyo from the time he was born.

Kamurasi said his brother, the late Prince Patrick Olimi Kaboyo, called him while he was in Juba to inform him that he had fathered a son. He said Kaboyo later asked him to visit the newborn, who was then in Kampala with the Queen Mother. Kamurasi recalled asking his brother whether the child would remain in Kampala, to which Kaboyo responded: “Charles, take charge of my son.”

He said he subsequently took care of the young Oyo at Mugurusi Road until his father arrived. Kamurasi said that history made it difficult for him to understand how Oyo could become seriously ill without him being informed. “It pains me that my own ‘son’ could get sick to the point of dying without me knowing,” Kamurasi lamented. He called on the Batooro to remain united and protect the Kingdom, while insisting that King Oyo did not leave behind a son. 

Kamurasi also accused the Prime Minister of assuming powers beyond his mandate and warned that this could undermine the Kingdom. The tensions spilled into discussions over the handling of the late King’s body, with some council members calling for traditional customs to be respected.

Rose Bakasara, one of the delegates, opposed proposals to move the body unnecessarily or take it to another location for public viewing. She argued that the King’s body should be handled in accordance with Tooro traditions. The council subsequently supported the position that the King’s body should be transported directly from Entebbe to the royal palace.

Beatrice Nyake called for broader participation in decision-making within the Kingdom, urging the Babiito clan to involve other clans in matters affecting Tooro. Nyake attributed some of the divisions within the Kingdom to disagreements among individuals whom she accused of prioritising financial interests over cultural values.

Godfrey Kanyoro, representing the Abagombe clan, called on the Babiito and other clans to rally behind Kamurasi to safeguard the development gains made by the Kingdom.

Patrick Kamara said the divisions within the Kingdom were a result of leaders and members moving away from Tooro’s norms, traditions and culture. He urged Kingdom leaders to exercise restraint and avoid commenting on every issue, particularly when they do not have verified information.