Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, King of Tooro in western Uganda, has died at the age of 34, nearly 31 years after ascending the throne as the world’s youngest reigning monarch.
The Prime Minister of the Tooro Kingdom, Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki, announced the monarch’s death in a post on X on Thursday night.
King Rukidi IV died at about 10:00 p.m. local time on Thursday. The cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
The Ugandan government had said “the king was receiving medical treatment in the United States.”
Rukidi IV became King of Tooro on September 12, 1995, at the age of three, following the death of his father, Rukirabasaija Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III.
Although Uganda is a republic governed by an elected president, the country retains several traditional kingdoms whose political powers are largely ceremonial but whose cultural and social influence remains significant.
The Tooro Prime Minister described the king’s death as an “immeasurable loss”, saying he “had left an heir and that the continuity of the crown was assured.”
The death has triggered an outpouring of grief across Uganda, with political leaders and members of the public paying tribute to the late monarch.
Ugandan opposition leader and musician Bobi Wine described the death as “most devastating news”.
In April, Akiiki had praised the king during his birthday celebrations, saying his youth brought energy, fresh perspectives and the courage to envision a different future for the kingdom.
Reuters
