Tooro PM Defends Withholding Information on King Oyo’s Illness

Updated by Faith Barbara N Ruhinda at 1258 EAT on 4 September 2026

Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki has defended his decision to keep the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV’s medical condition private, saying he acted on the king’s express instructions to conceal his treatment abroad.

Rwomiire said the information 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 monarch’s wishes.
He said that, as a person serving the king, he had a responsibility 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 questions over 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 initially been told the king was abroad for studies and was later 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 King Oyo did not want his health condition to cause unnecessary alarm among his subjects and 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 celebrations.

The explanation, however, comes amid questions over what senior Tooro Kingdom 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 following Oyo’s death, 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 Rwomiire, in his capacity as Prime Minister, 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 regarding the King’s treatment and the communication of his health status to the public.

Rwomiire, however, said he did not want to engage in a public dispute over the matter while the kingdom is mourning.

As the kingdom prepares to mourn and celebrate the life of King Oyo, questions surrounding the handling of information about his health are likely to persist. For now, however, attention remains focused on the funeral arrangements and the transition of the Tooro Kingdom leadership during a period of mourning.

-Observer

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