President Yoweri Museveni has revealed that the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV wrote him a letter in June 2026, months before the Tooro king died, expressing gratitude for the appointment of ministers from the kingdom and reflecting on matters of culture and national heritage.
Museveni made the revelation while paying tribute to the late king, saying he discovered the letter only after Oyo had been laid to rest.
“I was very sad because, a day after he was buried, I was going through my documents and found a letter he had written to me on 15th June 2026,” Museveni said.
According to the President, Oyo used the letter to thank him for several things, including the appointment of members of his kingdom to ministerial positions.
The discovery, Museveni said, offered him another reason to salute the memory of the young king and the work he carried out during his reign.
“I want to salute the memory of King Oyo for the wonderful work he did,” he said.
Oyo, who became Omukama at the age of three following the death of his father, Omukama Patrick Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III, in 1995, died in August 2026 aged 34 after battling brain cancer.
His death triggered a succession dispute within the Tooro royal establishment, with competing claims and disagreements emerging over who should succeed him.
Museveni also used the occasion to congratulate Oyo’s successor, Omukama Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I, whose coronation is taking place in Fort Portal.
“I also congratulate His Highness Nyabongo,” Museveni said, adding that he had followed the new king’s appearances in the media.
“I have been watching him on the news and he is a good newsreader. I am sure he will do a good job,” the President said.
Beyond the succession, Museveni used his remarks to raise broader concerns about the future of Uganda’s cultural institutions, particularly the role of traditional leaders in promoting responsible family life.
“I call upon our cultural leaders to thoroughly address the institution of marriage and promote responsible family life,” he said.
Museveni argued that some traditional practices surrounding marriage had provided social clarity and helped communities maintain order, calling for a renewed examination of those practices.
“We must go back to our traditional ways of conducting marriages, which provided clarity and helped maintain social order,” he said.
He linked the issue to public health concerns, particularly the prevalence of HIV in western Uganda, arguing that cultural institutions could play a role in addressing the problem.
“We are facing serious challenges, including the prevalence of HIV in this part of the country and Western Uganda,” Museveni said.
He contrasted the situation with Karamoja, where he said stronger traditional practices surrounding marriage had contributed to lower HIV prevalence.
“Karamoja, on the other hand, has maintained strong cultural practices around marriage and has a lower prevalence,” he said.
Museveni also turned to the preservation of indigenous knowledge, warning that Uganda’s languages, cultures and traditional forms of knowledge were at risk of disappearing.
“We must also guard our language, culture and indigenous science jealously,” he said.
“Our local knowledge is disappearing.”
He cited his own efforts to preserve the Ankole long-horned cattle as an example of the importance of protecting indigenous heritage, saying he had continued with the effort despite discouragement from some modern veterinary scientists.
“I have personally insisted on preserving the Ankole long horned cattle, despite discouragement from some modern veterinary scientists,” Museveni said.
The President also recalled selling some of the cattle to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, saying the breed had subsequently become a subject of ownership claims in South Africa.
“I sold some to President Ramaphosa, and now South Africans claim they are theirs!” he said.
Museveni concluded by broadening the call beyond cattle to encompass the wider body of indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage.
“We must preserve our indigenous science, crafts, cultural practices and heritage,” he said.
“These are important for our identity and our survival.”
Oyo’s June 15 letter, therefore, emerged publicly only after his death, adding another dimension to the late king’s final months and his relationship with the national leadership.
Meanwhile, a Bishop has told Omukama not to marry a second wife, even when it looks like sons he has with his wife from Teso can not succeed him in future unless the succession rules change. (See Details Here and There).
