FORT PORTAL, Uganda-The Tooro Kingdom has announced a series of traditional rituals and restrictions to be observed during the nine-day mourning period following the death of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
The cultural directives include abstaining from sexual relations, suspending weddings and other public celebrations, avoiding loud music and temporarily halting digging and major agricultural work.
According to Moses Musinguzi, a member of the communications committee under the office of Omujwera Musuuga, the restrictions are intended to reflect the significance of the death of a reigning monarch and preserve Tooro traditions.
Married couples have been instructed to abstain from sexual relations throughout the nine-day mourning period.
Locals have also been asked to suspend major farm work, although they may visit their gardens to inspect crops.
Tree planting has been exempted from the restriction and is encouraged in honour of King Oyo’s environmental conservation work.
Bars and entertainment venues have been directed not to play loud music during the mourning period. Weddings and traditional introduction ceremonies, known as Okuhingira, have also been postponed until after the funeral rites.
The mourning period officially begins when King Oyo’s remains return to Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal and will culminate in his burial at the Karambi royal tombs.
The kingdom has advised people who cannot travel to the palace to observe the mourning locally by lighting communal fires and gathering together.
Other royal protocols have also been activated following the monarch’s death.
The playing of royal drums, known as Engoma, has been suspended, while households possessing royal drums or spears have been instructed to turn them upside down to signify that the throne is temporarily vacant.
The Tooro Kingdom anthem has also been suspended at public functions until a new king is formally enthroned.
Lion sculptures and figures across Fort Portal and other kingdom premises have been covered as part of the mourning rituals.
King Oyo died on August 27, 2026, at the age of 34 while receiving medical treatment in the United States. He became King of Tooro in 1995 at the age of three following the death of his father, King Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III.
The Tooro Kingdom has also postponed public events during the mourning period, including its 2026 Annual Youth Conference, which had been scheduled for September 4.
