By Cynthia Okere, Lagos 

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has confirmed that King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of the Tooro Kingdom died after battling an aggressive form of cancer.

The monarch died on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at the age of 34 while receiving medical treatment in the United States.

King Oyo became internationally known after ascending the throne of the Tooro Kingdom in western Uganda at the age of three in 1995 following the death of his father, King Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III. He became recognised as the world’s youngest reigning monarch.

President Museveni, in a condolence message to the royal family and the people of Tooro, disclosed that the Queen Mother, Best Kemigisa, had informed him months earlier that the king was suffering from an aggressive cancer.

“Some months back, Her Royal Highness Kemigisa, Nyinomukama, came to tell me that the Muzzukulu Oyo had cancer that was very aggressive,” Museveni said.

According to the Ugandan president, the government supported the royal family in taking the king to Germany for treatment before he subsequently travelled to the United States, where he died.

Museveni described the monarch’s death at such a young age as a major loss to both the Tooro Kingdom and Uganda.

He said King Oyo had demonstrated a willingness to work with Uganda’s central and local governments towards the development of the Tooro region.

The president also directed that the late monarch be accorded an official burial, while Ugandan flags are to fly at half-mast for three days — the day before his burial, the burial day and the day after.

King Oyo’s death had initially been announced by the Prime Minister of the Tooro Kingdom, Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki, who said the monarch passed away at about 10 p.m. local time.

At the time of the initial announcement, the kingdom did not publicly state the cause of death, although reports confirmed that the king had been critically ill and receiving treatment in the United States. President Museveni’s subsequent statement provided the first official confirmation that cancer was responsible for his death.

King Oyo’s reign spanned more than three decades. Although Uganda is a republic and its traditional kingdoms do not exercise formal political authority, the monarchies remain important cultural institutions with considerable influence within their communities.

The Tooro Kingdom is based in western Uganda and is one of the traditional kingdoms recognised by the Ugandan government.

During his reign, King Oyo became associated with initiatives involving young people, education, cultural preservation and development within the Tooro Kingdom.

President Museveni also said he had been informed by the Queen Mother that the late monarch left behind a young son, whose identity would be formally introduced to the public in accordance with the kingdom’s traditions.

The king’s death has triggered widespread mourning in Uganda, bringing to an end a reign that began when he was only three years old.