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Kampala, Uganda | URN | Preparations for the burial of Tooro King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV are intensifying at the royal burial grounds in Karambi I Village, as the kingdom awaits the repatriation of his remains from the United States. The royal burial grounds, known as Amagasani, are undergoing extensive preparations ahead of the funeral.
As of Sunday, workers were rehabilitating the access road, sweeping and cleaning the compound. Although members of the public and journalists are not allowed into the burial grounds, traditional rituals are already underway. Young men, who also serve as ritualists, were seen inside the structures housing the graves of former Tooro monarchs performing “okweza”, a customary ritual involving the cleaning of the king’s resting place and his instruments of power.
The ritualists also perform specific songs as they clean the burial structures, while women are traditionally not allowed to participate in the exercise. One of the ritualists told URN that preparations to dig the grave, known as “Iziba”, for King Oyo are expected to begin on Monday. The burial grounds house the graves of three former Tooro kings—Omukama Daudi Kyebambe Kasagama IV, Sir George Kamurasi Rukidi III and Omukama Patrick Mathew Kaboyo Olomi VII—and remain off-limits to visitors.
The person responsible for preparing the king’s grave, known as “Omusuuna”, oversees the traditional rites at the burial site and will later receive the king’s body at the burial grounds through a series of customary rituals. Meanwhile, preparations are also underway at Karuzika Palace, the official residence of the Tooro monarch in Fort Portal.
Renovation works are ongoing on the road connecting the palace gate to the main buildings as the kingdom prepares for the burial ceremony. The remains of Omukama Oyo have not yet been repatriated from the United States, but the kingdom continues to mobilise for the funeral in accordance with Tooro traditions and customs.
