The Ministry of Health has barred mourners traveling from the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from attending the burial of Tooro’s King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru IV. Health Services Director General Charles Olaro cited the ongoing Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC, home to many Tooro Kingdom subjects as the reason, given the large crowds expected for the funeral of the 34-year-old monarch, who succumbed to a rare brain cancer.
The king will be buried on 12 September at the Karambi Royal Tombs. His remains arrived in Entebbe on Friday, drawing crowds along the route to Fort Portal City and at the palace gates.
Tooro Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomire said mourners are expected from across the globe, including monarchs from Nigeria, DRC, and Eswatini who have confirmed plans to attend. Still, the health ministry’s advisory is firm that no one from eastern DRC will be allowed to cross, noting the Uganda-DRC border remains closed. To accommodate the king’s subjects in DRC and elsewhere, the government will stream the burial online through official channels.
Uganda was declared Ebola-free by the WHO several weeks ago, having gone 42 days without a new case following an outbreak of 20 cases that began in May with an imported case from the DRC. Olaro noted that despite the all-clear, Uganda continues active surveillance to guard against another spillover.
