Kampala (Uganda), 28 August (LaPresse/AP) – Oyo Nyimba, a Ugandan tribal monarch who ascended the throne at the age of just three, has died at the age of 34. The death of the King of Tooro was announced this morning by Prime Minister Calvin Rwomiire Akiiki. “The continuity of the Crown is assured,” reads the Prime Minister’s statement, “His Majesty leaves behind a prince as his heir, whose identity will be formally revealed in due course, in accordance with the traditions and customs of the Kingdom of Tooro.” Oyo was undergoing treatment abroad for an unspecified illness. King Oyo, as he was best known, was crowned in 1995 at the age of three following the death of his father. He was a curious child, dressed in colourful clothes, and the object of adoration for his hundreds of thousands of subjects. At his coronation, he underwent a series of tribal rituals and assumed the title of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV. Oyo held the unofficial title of the world’s youngest king. He ruled his people through regents appointed by the kingdom until he came of age at 18. Oyo was known as a reserved man who valued his privacy. Still unmarried at the time of his death, he was considered by many to be Uganda’s most eligible bachelor. In September, the Speaker of Parliament had pledged to pay the bride price should Oyo decide to marry, a prospect which had brought a smile to the king’s face. Tooro is one of Uganda’s ancient kingdoms. Banned after independence from British colonial rule by a republican president who claimed to want to unify the country, the traditional kingdoms were reinstated in 1993. Although they have no political authority and are not legally permitted to engage in politics, the monarchs exercise authority as custodians of tribal culture. The seat of the Kingdom of Oyo is a remote town in western Uganda, near the border with the Congo. The people of Oyo are known as the Batooro.
Uganda: King Oyo dies aged 34 – the world’s youngest monarch
Kampala (Uganda), 28 August (LaPresse/AP) – Oyo Nyimba, a Ugandan tribal monarch who ascended the throne at the age of just three, has died at the age of 34. The death of the King of Tooro was announced this morning by Prime Minister Calvin Rwomiire Akiiki. “The continuity of the Crown is assured,” reads the Prime Minister’s statement, “His Majesty leaves behind a prince as his heir, whose identity will be formally revealed in due course, in accordance with the traditions and customs of the Kingdom of Tooro.” Oyo was undergoing treatment abroad for an unspecified illness. King Oyo, as he was best known, was crowned in 1995 at the age of three following the death of his father. He was a curious child, dressed in colourful clothes, and the object of adoration for his hundreds of thousands of subjects. At his coronation, he underwent a series of tribal rituals and assumed the title of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV. Oyo held the unofficial title of the world’s youngest king. He ruled his people through regents appointed by the kingdom until he came of age at 18. Oyo was known as a reserved man who valued his privacy. Still unmarried at the time of his death, he was considered by many to be Uganda’s most eligible bachelor. In September, the Speaker of Parliament had pledged to pay the bride price should Oyo decide to marry, a prospect which had brought a smile to the king’s face. Tooro is one of Uganda’s ancient kingdoms. Banned after independence from British colonial rule by a republican president who claimed to want to unify the country, the traditional kingdoms were reinstated in 1993. Although they have no political authority and are not legally permitted to engage in politics, the monarchs exercise authority as custodians of tribal culture. The seat of the Kingdom of Oyo is a remote town in western Uganda, near the border with the Congo. The people of Oyo are known as the Batooro.