Oyo Nyimba, a Ugandan tribal monarch who captivated world leaders after ascending to his ancient throne as a toddler, has died at the age of 34.
The passing of the king of Tooro was announced early on Friday morning by Prime Minister Calvin Rwomiire Akiiki.
“The continuity of the Crown is assured,” the Tooro premier’s statement said.
“His Majesty leaves behind a Prince as his heir, whose identity will be formally revealed at the appropriate time, in accordance with the traditions and customs of Tooro Kingdom.”
Tributes were paid on Friday as the news reached shocked Ugandans, who were unaware that their monarch had been receiving care abroad for an undisclosed medical condition.
Authorities in Tooro had previously reassured the public that Oyo remained alive in critical condition, forcing many to suddenly confront his death at a very young age.
“This is very difficult to comprehend,” Deputy Parliament Speaker Thomas Tayebwa said.
King Oyo, as he was best known, was coronated in 1995 at the age of three after his father’s death, and was an object of adoration for his hundreds of thousands of subjects.
At his coronation, he went through a series of tribal rituals and emerged as King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
Oyo held the unofficial title of the world’s youngest king, a mesmerising figure even for world leaders introduced to him at national events. He led his people via regents appointed by the kingdom until he came of age at 18.
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was one of those who befriended the Tooro royal family as if they were part of his extended family.
Mr Gaddafi made multiple trips to Uganda and supported Oyo and the queen mother for years before the Libyan leader’s death in October 2011.
As he grew older, Oyo was known as a quiet man who protected his privacy. Still unmarried at his death, he was widely seen as Uganda’s most eligible bachelor.
Tooro is one of the ancient kingdoms of Uganda. Banned after independence from British colonial rule by a republican president who said he wanted to unify the country, traditional kingdoms were restored in 1993.
Although they have no political authority and are legally not allowed to engage in partisan politics, monarchs wield authority as guardians of tribal culture.
The seat of Oyo's kingdom is a remote city in western Uganda near the Congo border. Oyo's people are known as the Batooro.
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