Kampala — Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomire has defended his decision not to publicly inform top officials in the Kingdom that King Oyo was out of the country for treatment.
He had originally stated that late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV was abroad for studies. Rwomire has, however, stated that he did not go public about Oyo's health status because he was acting on the King's express wishes.
Rwomire made the remarks in a statement posted on his official X handle on Thursday evening, amid controversy over the circumstances of the King's stay abroad and the information communicated to the public about his health.
Rwomire said the late King personally directed him to keep information about his health private because he did not want to cause unnecessary alarm among his subjects.
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He said that as a person serving the King, it was his responsibility to respect his wishes and protect his privacy. "I am also confident that His Majesty acted in good faith. He was confident in his recovery and was looking forward to returning home and reuniting with his people for the 31st Empango. He did not want to cause unnecessary alarm among his people," Rwomire said.
The Prime Minister had earlier dismissed reports that the King Oyo was receiving medical treatment abroad while speaking at the launch of the annual Youth Conference on August 3.
Rwomire told participants that the King was abroad for further studies and asked the public to disregard speculation about his health.
The explanation comes amid questions about what different leaders within the Kingdom knew about the King's health and why some of the information was not publicly disclosed earlier.
While formally announcing the death of the King last Friday, the head of the Babiito royal clan, Omusuga Charles Kamurasi, publicly accused Rwomire of withholding information about the King's health from him. Kamurasi also accused the Prime Minister of misleading the people of Tooro by saying that the King was abroad for studies.
However, Rwomire has rejected suggestions that he deliberately concealed information from the Omusuga.
He said there were matters concerning the King that had not been communicated to the Omusuga, adding that even he, as Prime Minister, had not been informed about some of the issues.
Rwomire, however, said the mourning period was not an appropriate time to debate the circumstances surrounding the handling of the King's health information.
He warned that turning the matter into a public dispute could deepen divisions within the Kingdom at a time when leaders should be working together to give the late King a dignified farewell.
The Prime Minister called on Batooro to remain united during the mourning period, saying future generations would remember not only that Tooro lost its King, but also how the people conducted themselves during their time of grief.
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The late King Oyo died after a prolonged illness while receiving treatment abroad.
Tooro Kingdom is preparing to receive his remains on Friday ahead of his burial on September 12. The burial date coincides with the King's 31st coronation anniversary, making the occasion both a solemn farewell and a significant milestone in the history of the Tooro Kingdom.
