Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu Clarifies Mumbere Is Not Critically Ill

The Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu has dismissed reports circulating on social media that Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere Irema-Ngoma is critically ill, saying the monarch is in Turkey for a routine medical review and remains in stable condition. 

In a statement issued by the kingdom, officials said Mumbere travelled to Turkey following advice from his medical team and urged the public not to panic over the reports.

“We wish to clarify that HM Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere Irema-Ngoma is not critically ill, contrary to reports circulating on social media,” the statement reads. The kingdom said the current trip is a routine medical follow-up related to the previous treatment Mumbere received at the same facility in Turkey. According to kingdom spokesperson Geoffrey Kanyonyi, Mumbere left Uganda on August 27 and arrived in Turkey the following morning.

The latest visit comes less than six months after the monarch returned to the Rwenzori region following more than five months abroad for medical treatment. Mumbere travelled to Turkey in October 2025 for specialised medical care and returned to Uganda in December, where he remained at his Kampala residence during his recovery. 

He resumed his official duties in March 2026 before travelling to Turkey again last month. The kingdom expressed appreciation to the public for the prayers, concern and messages of goodwill extended to Mumbere, his family and the wider Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu community. It also appealed to the public to respect the Omusinga’s privacy, including his medical privacy, during the period of his routine follow-up. The kingdom reiterated that Mumbere is in good health and that there is no cause for alarm.