Princess Ruth Komuntale has revealed that her brother, Tooro King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, died after battling angiosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of cancer.
Komuntale disclosed the diagnosis during her emotional eulogy for Oyo at St John’s Cathedral in Fort Portal on Saturday, September 12, as the royal family and thousands of mourners gathered to bid farewell to the monarch.
The revelation provides the clearest account yet of the illness that claimed the life of the 34-year-old king, who died in the United States on August 27, 2026, while receiving specialised medical treatment.
President Yoweri Museveni had previously described Oyo’s illness as an aggressive form of cancer, saying the royal family had kept the diagnosis private while seeking treatment in Germany and later the United States. Museveni said Queen Mother Best Kemigisa informed him about the king’s health problems in November 2025.
Komuntale, however, provided further details during her eulogy, revealing that Oyo had been living with unexplained pain for more than a year before doctors established the correct diagnosis.
According to Komuntale, Oyo’s health problems began long before the public knew he was seriously ill. The king experienced persistent pain and underwent medical assessments in Uganda. His symptoms were initially attributed to other conditions, delaying the identification of the cancer.
Further medical investigations eventually established that he had angiosarcoma, a cancer that develops in the cells lining blood vessels or lymphatic vessels.
By the time doctors confirmed the diagnosis in mid-October 2025, the disease had already spread to several organs, according to accounts of Komuntale’s eulogy.
Oyo subsequently began cancer treatment, including chemotherapy, as his family sought specialised care outside Uganda. The disclosure explains why the monarch’s health remained largely out of the public eye during the final months of his reign. Tooro Kingdom had not publicly announced a specific diagnosis before his death.
Komuntale also explained why Oyo and the royal family chose not to publicly disclose his condition. According to her, the king believed he would recover and did not want news of his illness to cause fear or anxiety among the people of Tooro.
The decision meant that Oyo continued to perform his public duties while privately undergoing treatment. Museveni similarly confirmed that the government and royal family deliberately kept the illness confidential as arrangements were made for treatment abroad.
“We kept quiet about it, and I gave them support to go and seek medical treatment in Germany, then USA,” Museveni said after Oyo’s body returned to Uganda.
The President said efforts to save the king ultimately failed.
“Unfortunately, it was not possible to save him until God called him,” Museveni said.
Following the diagnosis, Oyo’s family pursued specialised treatment outside Uganda. The king received medical care in Germany before continuing treatment in the United States, where he eventually died.
The monarch remained largely absent from public view as his family handled his medical care privately. His death on August 27 brought an abrupt end to a reign that had lasted nearly 31 years.
His burial on September 12, 2026, coincides with the 31st anniversary of his accession to the throne.
Angiosarcoma is a rare cancer that develops in the lining of blood vessels or lymphatic vessels.
Because blood and lymphatic vessels run throughout the body, the cancer can develop in different organs and tissues. It is considered aggressive and can spread to other parts of the body.
The disease can be difficult to identify because its symptoms vary depending on where it develops and may initially resemble less serious conditions.
