King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom has died at the age of 34, nearly three decades after he became the world’s youngest reigning monarch.
The king’s death was announced late Thursday by the Prime Minister of the Tooro Kingdom, Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki, who said the monarch died at about 10 p.m. local time. No cause of death was given.
Rukidi IV became King of Tooro at just three years old on September 12, 1995, following the death of his father, King Rukirabasaija Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III.
Tooro is one of several traditional kingdoms in Uganda. Although Uganda is governed as a republic with an elected president, the traditional monarchies retain significant cultural and social influence despite having largely symbolic political roles.
Before the announcement of his death, government minister Balaam Barugahara said the king was receiving medical treatment in the United States.
The Tooro prime minister described the king’s death as an “immeasurable loss” and said that although Rukidi IV was unmarried, he had left an heir, assuring the continuity of the crown.
News of his death sparked widespread grief across Uganda, with tributes pouring in on social media.
Ugandan opposition leader and musician Bobi Wine described the development as “most devastating news” and prayed for the king’s soul to rest in eternal peace.
In April, the Tooro prime minister had described the young monarch as a leader who remained connected to the realities of his people, saying his youth brought “energy, fresh perspective, and the courage to imagine a different future for Tooro.”
