Rukidi IV of Toro
Encyclopedia
Rukirabasaija Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, King Oyo, is the reigning Omukama of Toro
, in Uganda
. He was born on 16 April 1992 to King
Patrick David Mathew Kaboyo Olimi III
and Queen Best
Kemigisa Kaboyo. Three and half years later in 1995, Oyo ascended the throne and succeeded his father to become the 12th ruler of the 180 year old Kingdom of Toro. He is currently the youngest ruling monarch
, taking the place of previous record holder, King Mswati of Swaziland
who was crowned at 18 years of age.
times, Uganda was made up of Kingdoms and societies headed by chiefs
and clan
leaders. Whereas most societies in Uganda, like the North and North eastern communities were loosely set up systems led by clan leaders, others like Bunyoro
, Buganda
, Ankole
and Toro were organised Kingdoms.
In 1966, political powers of the traditional leaders were abolished in post independent Uganda by the Nationalist movement led by Milton Obote
who despised the Kings
because of their collaboration with the colonial authorities. The Nationalists further considered the traditional leaders divisive and a threat to the growing republic. Later, the 70's and 80's were characterised by political instability and civil unrest leading with serious repercussions for the cultural institutions. Many of the leaders like the Kabaka Mutesa
of Buganda and Omukama Patrick Kaboyo of Toro were forced into exile to escape regime of terror. It was not until 1986 that President Museveni, by an amendment to the constitution in 1993, reinstated Kingdoms. The Kingdoms would never enjoy the sovereignty of pre colonial times, but they would be instrumental in mobilising the country towards social and economic recovery.
lies in the south western part of present day Uganda. The people of Toro are called Batoro and make up 3.2 percent of the population of Uganda which stands at 24.4 million in the 2002 census
. The Kingdom is ruled by the Babiito dynasty whose origins go as far back as the 14th century. According to oral history, Prince Olimi Kaboyo Kasunsunkwanzi
, son of the King of Bunyoro
annexed the southern part of his father's Kingdom in 1822 and founded what is known as Toro today.
which means King and Rukirabasaija, the greatest of men. Although he is considered the sovereign leader of the Batooro, Oyo Nyimba's power is limited to cultural duties.
had to take his place as King during his toddler years. On the 12th September 1995, a week after his father's burial
, the rituals to hand over the reins of power to Oyo began at 2 a.m. They included a mock battle at the palace entrance fought between enemy forces of a “rebel” prince and the royal army and a test of Oyo's divine right to the throne. The Omusuga, head of the royal clan, called on the gods to strike Oyo dead if he was not of royal blood. On passing the test, Oyo was permitted to sound the Nyalebe, a sacred Chwezi drum as his forefathers had done. He was then blessed with the blood of a slaughtered bull and a white hen.
At 4 a.m, Oyo was crowned King amidst a jubilating crowd and entered the palace as the new ruler of the Kingdom of Toro. He was served his first meal as King which consisted of millet
dough, sat in the lap of a virgin girl and swore allegiance
to the Crown while lying on his side, on the ground.
The cultural rituals were followed by a religious ceremony presided over by the Anglican Bishop
, Eustance Kamanyire. The President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni attended the coronation celebrations and paid tribute to the new King.
), Princess Elizabeth Bagaaya
, his Aunt and Godmother
and President Yoweri Museveni.
Another significant patron of the Kingdom of Toro with close ties to the royal family
is Libya's President Muamar Gaddafi. The young King Oyo named Gaddafi the “defender” of the Kingdom and invited him to attend the 6th coronation anniversary celebrations in 2001. Gaddafi has been more than generous in his support of Toro through donations, such as the newly refurbished Palace in Fort Portal which cost approximately $200,000.
and attended preschool there. He is currently at the International School of Uganda and says he enjoys art, music, math, and swimming.
Omukama of Toro
The Omukama of Toro is the name given to rulers of the central African kingdom of Toro. The kingdom lasted as an independent state from the 16th to the 19th century...
, in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
. He was born on 16 April 1992 to King
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
Patrick David Mathew Kaboyo Olimi III
Olimi III of Toro
Rukirabasaija Patrick David Matthew Koboyo Olimi III was Omukama of the Kingdom of Toro, from 1965 until 1995. He was the 12th Omukama of Toro.-Claim to the throne:...
and Queen Best
Queen Best
Queen Best Kemigisa is mother to Rukirabasaija Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, the reigning Omukama of Toro, in Uganda.-References:...
Kemigisa Kaboyo. Three and half years later in 1995, Oyo ascended the throne and succeeded his father to become the 12th ruler of the 180 year old Kingdom of Toro. He is currently the youngest ruling monarch
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
, taking the place of previous record holder, King Mswati of Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
who was crowned at 18 years of age.
Background
In pre colonialColonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
times, Uganda was made up of Kingdoms and societies headed by chiefs
Tribal chief
A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...
and clan
Clan
A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, clan members may be organized around a founding member or apical ancestor. The kinship-based bonds may be symbolical, whereby the clan shares a "stipulated" common ancestor that is a...
leaders. Whereas most societies in Uganda, like the North and North eastern communities were loosely set up systems led by clan leaders, others like Bunyoro
Bunyoro
Bunyoro is a kingdom in Western Uganda. It was one of the most powerful kingdoms in East Africa from the 16th to the 19th century. It is ruled by the Omukama of Bunyoro...
, Buganda
Buganda
Buganda is a subnational kingdom within Uganda. The kingdom of the Ganda people, Buganda is the largest of the traditional kingdoms in present-day Uganda, comprising all of Uganda's Central Region, including the Ugandan capital Kampala, with the exception of the disputed eastern Kayunga District...
, Ankole
Ankole
Ankole, also referred to as Nkore, is one of four traditional kingdoms in Uganda. The kingdom is located in the southwestern Uganda, east of Lake Edward. It was ruled by a monarch known as The Mugabe or Omugabe of Ankole. The kingdom was formally abolished in 1967 by the government of President...
and Toro were organised Kingdoms.
In 1966, political powers of the traditional leaders were abolished in post independent Uganda by the Nationalist movement led by Milton Obote
Milton Obote
Apolo Milton Obote , Prime Minister of Uganda from 1962 to 1966 and President of Uganda from 1966 to 1971, then again from 1980 to 1985. He was a Ugandan political leader who led Uganda towards independence from the British colonial administration in 1962.He was overthrown by Idi Amin in 1971, but...
who despised the Kings
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
because of their collaboration with the colonial authorities. The Nationalists further considered the traditional leaders divisive and a threat to the growing republic. Later, the 70's and 80's were characterised by political instability and civil unrest leading with serious repercussions for the cultural institutions. Many of the leaders like the Kabaka Mutesa
Kabaka of Buganda
Kabaka is the title of the king of the Kingdom of Buganda. According to the traditions of the Baganda they are ruled by two kings, one spiritual and the other material....
of Buganda and Omukama Patrick Kaboyo of Toro were forced into exile to escape regime of terror. It was not until 1986 that President Museveni, by an amendment to the constitution in 1993, reinstated Kingdoms. The Kingdoms would never enjoy the sovereignty of pre colonial times, but they would be instrumental in mobilising the country towards social and economic recovery.
The Kingdom
Toro with its capital Fort PortalFort Portal
Fort Portal is a town in Western Uganda. It is the seat of both Kabarole District and Toro Kingdom.-Location:Fort Portal is located approximately by road, west of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city, on an all-tarmac two-lane highway...
lies in the south western part of present day Uganda. The people of Toro are called Batoro and make up 3.2 percent of the population of Uganda which stands at 24.4 million in the 2002 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
. The Kingdom is ruled by the Babiito dynasty whose origins go as far back as the 14th century. According to oral history, Prince Olimi Kaboyo Kasunsunkwanzi
Olimi I of Toro
Rukirabasaija Kaboyo Omuhundwa Kasusunkwanzi Olimi I was Omukama of the Kingdom of Toro, from around 1822 until around 1865. He was the first Omukama of Toro.-Claim to the throne:...
, son of the King of Bunyoro
Omukama of Bunyoro
Omukama of Bunyoro is the title given to rulers of the central African kingdom of Bunyoro-Kitara. The kingdom lasted as an independent state from the 16th to the 19th century. The Omukama of Bunyoro remains an important figure in Ugandan politics, especially among the Banyoro people of whom he...
annexed the southern part of his father's Kingdom in 1822 and founded what is known as Toro today.
Title
Oyo Nyimba is referred to as the OmukamaOmukama
Omukama: often translated as "king", Mukama means in Bantu something like "superior milkman/milkbringer". The title "Omukama" is used in the region of Uganda and neighbouring countries, especially in the kingdoms of "Bunyoro" and "Toro"...
which means King and Rukirabasaija, the greatest of men. Although he is considered the sovereign leader of the Batooro, Oyo Nyimba's power is limited to cultural duties.
Coronation
The untimely death of his father King Kaboyo in 1995 meant the Crown PrinceCrown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
had to take his place as King during his toddler years. On the 12th September 1995, a week after his father's burial
Burial
Burial is the act of placing a person or object into the ground. This is accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing an object in it, and covering it over.-History:...
, the rituals to hand over the reins of power to Oyo began at 2 a.m. They included a mock battle at the palace entrance fought between enemy forces of a “rebel” prince and the royal army and a test of Oyo's divine right to the throne. The Omusuga, head of the royal clan, called on the gods to strike Oyo dead if he was not of royal blood. On passing the test, Oyo was permitted to sound the Nyalebe, a sacred Chwezi drum as his forefathers had done. He was then blessed with the blood of a slaughtered bull and a white hen.
At 4 a.m, Oyo was crowned King amidst a jubilating crowd and entered the palace as the new ruler of the Kingdom of Toro. He was served his first meal as King which consisted of millet
Millet
The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...
dough, sat in the lap of a virgin girl and swore allegiance
Allegiance
An allegiance is a duty of fidelity said to be owed by a subject or a citizen to his/her state or sovereign.-Etymology:From Middle English ligeaunce . The al- prefix was probably added through confusion with another legal term, allegeance, an "allegation"...
to the Crown while lying on his side, on the ground.
The cultural rituals were followed by a religious ceremony presided over by the Anglican Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
, Eustance Kamanyire. The President of Uganda, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni attended the coronation celebrations and paid tribute to the new King.
Regency
To help him rule, King Oyo has three regents charged with grooming and overseeing his growth into the role of King. The regents handle the affairs of the Kingdom until Oyo turns 18. At the time of his coronation, the three regents included his mother, Queen Best (the Queen MotherQueen mother
Queen Mother is a title or position reserved for a widowed queen consort whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since at least 1577...
), Princess Elizabeth Bagaaya
Princess Elizabeth of Toro
Princess Elizabeth Christobel Edith Bagaaya Akiiki of Toro is the Batebe of the Kingdom of Toro. She is a Ugandan lawyer, politician, diplomat, model and actress. She was the first female East African to be admitted to the English Bar. She is a paternal aunt of the current King of Toro, Oyo Nyimba...
, his Aunt and Godmother
Godparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
and President Yoweri Museveni.
Another significant patron of the Kingdom of Toro with close ties to the royal family
Royal family
A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term imperial family appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning...
is Libya's President Muamar Gaddafi. The young King Oyo named Gaddafi the “defender” of the Kingdom and invited him to attend the 6th coronation anniversary celebrations in 2001. Gaddafi has been more than generous in his support of Toro through donations, such as the newly refurbished Palace in Fort Portal which cost approximately $200,000.
Charity and Development projects
One of the main duties of the King is to lobby for donations for economic and social welfare projects for the wellbeing of his subjects. These include health, education, economic and cultural projects. The latter is important to build the people's confidence in the King and promote strong cultural identity. Supported by his regents and family, Oyo travels the world seeking foreign assistance for the development of Toro. Most recently, Oyo received 100 wheelchairs on behalf of the Kingdom which were distributed to five regions of Toro. Other humanitarian projects are endorsed by the Kingdom through the Batebe Foundation of Toro which runs a special education fund for needy children.Education
Aside from his official duties, King Oyo goes to school and has time to play with his friends. However, his status dictates that he goes to private school and has a personal security guard at all times. Oyo spent two years in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and attended preschool there. He is currently at the International School of Uganda and says he enjoys art, music, math, and swimming.
Photos
Succession table
External links
- Toro Kingdom Official Website
- Karimi, Faith. African teen king lives dual life - CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
- 16 March 2010 - "Ugandan child king honours Gaddafi." BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. 16 July 2001. - Outreach to Africa - The Wheelchair Story Uganda 2004
- The New Vision (Uganda), 3rd March 2006
- http://nihirafame.blogspot.com