The article reports the death of Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, the King of Tooro, a traditional kingdom in western Uganda near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. The king, who became the world’s youngest reigning monarch in 1995 at the age of three, passed away at 34, as announced by the prime minister of the Tooro kingdom, Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki, on X (formerly Twitter) late on Thursday. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Despite Uganda being a republic with an elected head of state, it maintains several traditional monarchies that hold symbolic political power but wield significant cultural and social influence. Rukidi IV succeeded his father, Rukirabasaija Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III, in 1995. The king’s death has elicited widespread grief and media coverage in Uganda, with notable figures such as opposition leader Bobi Wine expressing condolences. The prime minister emphasized that the king, who was unmarried, had left an heir, ensuring the continuity of the Tooro monarchy. Source