Ugandan traditional king Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV has died at the age of 34, the Tooro Kingdom said in a statement seen by APA over the weekend.
Oyo was recognised as the world’s youngest reigning monarch after ascending to the throne at the age of three.
Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV became king of Tooro in western Uganda at just three years old in 1995 after the death of his father.
“It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that I announce the passing of His Majesty the Omukama of Tooro, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, at approximately 10:00 pm Thursday evening,” the prime minister (Omuhikirwa) of Tooro Kingdom said in a statement.
The Tooro kingdom did not disclose the cause of the king’s death, but a Ugandan government minister was quoted in local media saying that he had been critically ill and was seeking treatment in the US.
Uganda is a republic led by longtime President Yoweri Museveni but officially recognises traditional kingdoms, which serve mainly as cultural institutions with limited political power.
King Oyo succeeded his father, who died of a heart attack in 1995, but was crowned after turning 18 years old.
Last year, Guinness World Records recognised him as the world’s youngest reigning monarch.
The king died while receiving treatment in the United States following weeks of speculation about his deteriorating health, local media reported.
Uganda’s Tooro region, in the west of the country, has a population of about 2.1 million people.
MG/as/APA