Former Kampala Lord Mayor Doreen Nyanjura has expressed deep sorrow following the death of Tooro Kingdom’s Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru IV, saying images of the late king’s remains were too painful for her to watch.
Nyanjura, in an emotional message, said she was struggling to come to terms with the sight of the young monarch’s remains being transported in a box after his death in the United States, where he had reportedly been receiving medical treatment.
“The devastating images and videos of Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru in a box are a sight too painful to bear. I just can't find the strength to look at them,” Nyanjura said.
The former city leader accompanied her remarks with broken-heart and crying emojis, underscoring the emotional impact of the king’s death.
Nyanjura also questioned why people she described as “good” and “pure-hearted” often die while those she considers evil continue living healthy lives.
“But why must the good, pure-hearted souls be taken from us while the evil continue to roam free and are very healthy?” she asked.
She added: “My heart is completely shattered.”
King Oyo’s death has triggered an outpouring of grief across Uganda, particularly in Tooro, where he had served as the cultural leader since ascending the throne as a child.
His death also marks the end of one of the country’s most closely followed royal reigns. Oyo was crowned Omukama of Tooro in 1995 at the age of three following the death of his father, Patrick Matthew Kaboyo Rukidi III.
Over the years, the king grew into a prominent symbol of Tooro’s cultural identity and remained widely respected among his subjects and cultural leaders.
The return of his remains from the United States has intensified preparations for funeral ceremonies, with members of the royal family, government officials and Tooro subjects expected to participate in the final rites.
Nyanjura’s remarks reflect the wider grief surrounding the passing of a monarch whose life and reign had been closely associated with Tooro’s modern cultural history.