The Tooro Kingdom has confirmed that King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV is in critical condition, dismissing earlier reports and rumours that the monarch had died.
In an official statement issued on Thursday, Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki said the King’s condition is critical but did not disclose the illness he is suffering from or where he is receiving medical care.
The statement follows growing concern over the health of the 34-year-old monarch, with unverified reports circulating earlier claiming that he had died.
The Prime Minister appealed to the people of Tooro, as well as friends and well-wishers in Uganda and abroad, to keep King Oyo in their thoughts and prayers during this difficult period.
The Kingdom also urged the public to refrain from spreading speculation, rumours or unverified information concerning the King’s condition.
It called for calm, restraint and respect for King Oyo and the royal family, saying further updates will be communicated through the Kingdom’s official channels when appropriate.
The latest statement is a shift from an earlier communication issued by the Tooro Kingdom on August 3, which dismissed reports about the King’s health as false and misleading. At the time, the Kingdom said King Oyo was abroad for official engagements and further studies.
King Oyo ascended to the Tooro throne in 1995 at the age of three, following the death of his father, Omukama Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Rwamuhokya Olimi III.