Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki has defended his decision to conceal the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV’s medical condition, saying he acted on the king’s express instructions to keep his treatment abroad private.
Rwomiire said the explanation given to the public that King Oyo had travelled abroad for studies, and later that he was well, was communicated in accordance with the late king’s wishes.
He said he had a responsibility as a person serving the king to respect his wishes and protect his privacy. Rwomiire made the remarks in a statement posted on his official X account on Thursday evening, amid growing controversy over the circumstances surrounding King Oyo’s prolonged stay abroad and the information communicated to the public about his health.
“I am aware that questions have been raised regarding some of the circumstances surrounding His Majesty’s time abroad and the communication around it,” Rwomiire said.
He acknowledged that the public had been told the king was abroad studying and was subsequently informed that he was well.
“The information communicated to the public that His Majesty was abroad studying, and subsequently that he was well, was communicated in accordance with His Majesty’s express wishes and direction,” Rwomiire said.
“As someone serving him, it was my responsibility to respect his wishes and protect his privacy. I did so faithfully and respectfully.”
Rwomiire said Oyo did not want his health condition to cause unnecessary alarm among his subjects and that the late monarch remained hopeful of recovering and returning home.
He said Oyo had been looking forward to returning to Tooro and reuniting with his subjects for the 31st Empango. The explanation, however, comes against the backdrop of questions over what senior Tooro officials knew about the king’s health and why information about his treatment was not disclosed earlier.
Rwomiire had previously dismissed reports that King Oyo was receiving medical treatment abroad while speaking at the launch of the annual Youth Conference on August 3.
Omusuga accuses PM
The controversy intensified after the death of Oyo, when the head of the Babiito royal clan, Omusuga Charles Kamurasi, accused Rwomiire of withholding information about the king’s health from him.
While formally announcing the king’s death last Friday, Kamurasi also accused the prime minister of misleading the people of Tooro.
“There were matters concerning the King that had not been communicated to the Omusuga,” Kamurasi said, adding that even as prime minister, Rwomiire had not been informed about some matters concerning the monarch.
The accusations have raised questions about the flow of information within the kingdom and the extent to which senior cultural leaders were involved in decisions concerning the king’s treatment and public communication.
Rwomiire, however, said he did not want to engage in a public dispute over the matter while the kingdom is mourning.
“Other matters have also been raised. This is neither the time nor the place to debate them,” he said.
He said the issues should be addressed “at a proper time and forum” after the king has been laid to rest.
Calls for restraint
Rwomiire urged kingdom leaders, cultural leaders, public officials, the media and social media users to exercise restraint during the mourning period. He warned that public exchanges during a period of grief could deepen divisions within Tooro.
“Moments like these require leadership, not posturing. They require less talking and more organising,” he said.
Rwomiire also appealed to Batooro to prioritise unity, dignity and respect for the late king’s memory.
“We have lost our King. We have lost a son of Tooro whose life, leadership and service carried the name of our Kingdom far beyond our borders,” he said.
He urged the public to focus on giving Oyo a dignified farewell rather than allowing disagreements and competing accounts surrounding his final months to dominate the mourning period.
Rwomiire also appealed for privacy for the royal family and people who were close to the late monarch, saying their grief should not be compounded by speculation or public pressure.
“Our duty now is simple: to receive our King with honour, lay him to rest with dignity, and stand together as one people,” he said.
King Oyo died on August 28, 2026, aged 34, after reigning over Tooro for 31 years. The minister of Health, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, told Parliament that the king died of cancer.
His remains are expected to arrive in Uganda on Friday, September 4, ahead of a week-long period of mourning in Tooro and his burial at the royal tombs on September 12.