SAD!! Queen Mother Kemigisha Painfully Narrates King Oyo’s Journey, Sickness, Death And Final Words

FORT PORTAL — For 34 years, Best Kemigisha watched her son grow from a three-year-old prince into the Omukama of Tooro, one of the world’s youngest monarchs.

But as thousands gathered in Fort Portal on Saturday to give King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV his final send-off, the Queen Mother struggled to speak of him as a king.

To her, he was still her baby son.

And in one of the most emotional moments of the funeral, Kemigisha said her son had died at a time when she had only begun to enjoy him as an adult.

“My son has gone at the time when I was beginning to enjoy him,” she said.

She described Oyo not simply as a king, but as her friend, shield and prayer partner, a caring son who remained humble despite carrying a crown from the age of three.

“Omukama was very caring. He was my friend and my shield. He cared about me a lot, the same way he cared and listened to all his people in Tooro Kingdom,” Kemigisha said.

Whenever she was quiet, she said, Oyo would notice and ask whether she was alright.

Despite his royal status, he would open the car door for his mother whenever they travelled together.

He celebrated her birthdays but rejected suggestions that his own birthdays should be marked with pomp and ceremony.

“He was a prayer warrior, often leading the prayers every night before going to bed,” she said.

The king behind the crown

Kemigisha said Oyo grew into a humble, respectful, caring and peace-loving leader who developed strong leadership skills and steered Tooro through a generally calm reign.

“He was a peacemaker, caring, and had developed very good leadership skills, steering Tooro to where we are today,” she said.

She described him as a good listener, understanding, humble and respectful, saying his death had come at a critical moment when his leadership was increasingly being felt within Tooro and beyond.

His reign, she said, was largely peaceful despite disputes involving members of the royal family who had at times attempted to destabilise his leadership.

She also praised his relationship with the central government, saying he worked closely with President Yoweri Museveni in advancing the development and stability of Tooro.

As mourners prepared to lay him to rest at the Karambi Royal Tombs, Kemigisha called for peace, calm and stability to prevail in the kingdom so that the gains made during his reign could be protected.

A childhood under the crown

Oyo became King of Tooro in September 1995, aged only three, after the death of his father, Patrick Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III.

His childhood was therefore unlike that of an ordinary child.

Kemigisha said she worked to raise him while protecting his dignity and preparing him for the responsibilities of the throne.

Oyo studied at The Prince’s School in London, Aga Khan Primary School and Kabira International School before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Winchester in Hampshire, United Kingdom.

His mother said he remained disciplined and performed well throughout his education despite his position as king.

After university, he undertook specialised military training in Entebbe, where he reportedly became popular with fellow trainees, instructors and senior UPDF officers.

Although passionate about military service, Oyo chose not to pursue further military training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Britain.

Instead, he returned his full attention to Tooro and assumed greater responsibility for the affairs of the kingdom.

A king who wanted a richer Tooro

Beyond cultural leadership, Oyo pursued an economic agenda focused on agriculture, youth employment, education, health and technology.

Through the King Oyo Foundation, he established a model farm in Rwenzori, Kyegegwa District, featuring poultry, livestock and crop production to demonstrate to young people that farming could be a profitable business.

Agricultural incubation centres were also established in Kabarole and Mwenge, supporting households with coffee and cocoa seedlings.

Kemigisha said Oyo had instructed the Omuhikirwa to replicate the Rwenzori model farm across villages and parishes in Tooro.

He also promoted youth access to technology through an ICT hub constructed at the Mucwa Administration Complex.

The facility had been completed and was due to be launched during this year’s Empango celebrations.

Another unfinished dream is the King Oyo Children’s Hospital in Kyegegwa District, which was intended to expand specialised paediatric healthcare in Tooro and the wider region.

Kemigisha appealed for the project to be completed as part of her son’s legacy.

Over 500 students benefited from his scholarships

Education was another major part of Oyo’s legacy.

The King introduced Tooro Kingdom scholarships for academically gifted but economically disadvantaged students in secondary and higher education institutions.

More than 500 students have benefited from the programme.

He also championed HIV/AIDS awareness and served as a UNAIDS ambassador, particularly focusing on young people and outreach programmes.

In sports, he spearheaded the Tooro Kingdom Masaza Cup, which brought communities together while providing young people with opportunities to develop their talents.

Through Empango, he sought to strengthen cultural unity among the Batoro while promoting Tooro’s culture and tourism.

But behind the public image of a strong and active King was a disease that would eventually take his life.

Kemigisha revealed that Oyo began experiencing persistent back pain extending to his left ribcage around June and July 2025.

Initially, he thought the pain could have been caused by his regular gym sessions and intense workouts.

He sought medical attention at a facility in Naguru, where an X-ray reportedly found nothing.

He underwent about two weeks of outpatient physiotherapy, but the pain persisted.

An orthopaedic specialist later recommended an MRI scan at Ruby Hospital in Kampala, but again, nothing conclusive was found.

It was not until November 2025, following the Empango celebrations, that the real cause of the pain was discovered.

At Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi, a PET scan revealed that the King had developed angiosarcoma, an aggressive form of cancer that spreads rapidly.

The diagnosis marked the beginning of a battle that would take the young monarch from Uganda to Germany, India and eventually the United States.

A battle fought away from the public

Kemigisha said she informed President Museveni about her son’s condition, after which the President facilitated further investigations and treatment abroad.

Oyo received treatment at the Thorax Clinic in Heidelberg, Germany, and later at a specialist sarcoma hospital in Hyderabad, India.

Chemotherapy continued from November 2025 until February 2026.

But the cancer remained aggressive.

He was eventually transferred to the United States, where he received treatment at medical facilities in Dallas, Texas, including Baylor Scott & White Hospital.

Despite the severity of the illness, Kemigisha said Oyo remained hopeful.

He ate well, communicated normally, prayed regularly and continued giving instructions on kingdom affairs.

He deliberately kept his medical condition private and directed kingdom officials to inform the public that he was in the United States on a working and study visit.

Even from hospital, he remained in contact with palace officials and security personnel.

“He was talking, smiling and talking about God”

For his mother, the final days were painful but also precious.

Kemigisha spent considerable time with her son in hospital and said he remained strong and optimistic.

“He remained very strong, talking, smiling, and talked about God until the end,” she said.

She said Oyo believed he would recover.

Even shortly before his death, he reportedly spoke to people close to him, assuring them that he would return home the following day because doctors were preparing to discharge him.

But on August 27, 2026, his condition suddenly deteriorated.

He was placed on life support.

Doctors tried to save him, but their efforts failed.

At exactly 14:16 US time, King Oyo was pronounced dead.

He was 34.

A mother’s gratitude to Museveni

In her final tribute, Kemigisha thanked President Museveni for what she described as his fatherly role in Oyo’s life.

She said the President supported the King from childhood, contributing to his education and general welfare and later ensuring that resources were made available for his cancer treatment abroad.

“I wish to thank His Excellency the President for being a father figure to the King throughout his childhood until the time of his demise,” she said.

She also thanked State House officials, Dr Hilda Katutu and businessman Dr Sudhir Ruparelia for their support to Oyo and his family.

A king to Tooro, a son to his mother!