Our Reporter | Fort Portal City — The Bamasaba Cultural Institution has officially delivered a condolence message to the Royal Family and people of Tooro Kingdom following the death of His Majesty King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
The condolence message was delivered on behalf of His Highness Jude Mike Mudoma, the Umukuka (King) of the Bamasaba people, the cultural institution’s cabinet and the people of Bugisu.
The spokesperson of the Bamasaba Cultural Institution told The Ankole Times that the delegation safely delivered the official message during the mourning period for the late Tooro King.
The delegation, led by the Umukuka’s representatives, was received by the Prime Minister of Tooro Kingdom, Rt. Hon. Armstrong, where the official condolence message was read verbatim.
In the message addressed to the Queen Mother, the Royal Family, the Prime Minister and the people of Tooro, Umukuka Mudoma expressed deep sorrow over the death of King Oyo.
“It is with a profound sense of grief and a heavy heart that, on my own behalf and on behalf of our cabinet and the Bamasaba people, I extend our deepest, most sincere and heartfelt condolences following the devastating and untimely demise of your beloved sovereign, His Majesty King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.”
Mudoma described the late King Oyo as a young, industrious and dedicated leader whose death was a tragedy that extended beyond the borders of Tooro.
“To lose a leader so young and remarkably industrious and so deeply dedicated to his people is a tragedy that reverberates far beyond the borders of Tooro,” the message stated.
He described the late King as a visionary leader and a source of hope to his people, saying his death had deeply affected the Bamasaba.
The Umukuka also highlighted the longstanding historical and spiritual relationship between the Bamasaba and Batooro, particularly their shared connection to the mountains of eastern and western Uganda.
He noted that the Bamasaba are associated with the mountains of eastern Uganda, while the Batooro are custodians of the Rwenzori Mountains in the west.
“We are collectively highlanders; this kinship of the mountains has always made us one in spirit. Today, as the mountains of the West weep, the mountains of the East mourn with you in true brotherhood,” Mudoma said.
The message further highlighted the historical cooperation between Bugisu and Tooro, including their shared Bantu heritage, resistance to colonialism and longstanding family and marriage ties between the two communities.
Mudoma said these historical connections had strengthened the bond between the Bamasaba and Batooro over generations.
He extended condolences to the entire Tooro community in Bugisu, Tooro and across Uganda, urging them to remain united during the difficult period of mourning.
The official message was signed by Jude Mike Mudoma, the Umukuka (King) of the Bamasaba people, on behalf of the Bamasaba Cultural Institution and its people.
