Burial of King Oyo in the Tooro Kingdom of Uganda

Nine days after his death, the world's youngest reigning monarch was buried in western Uganda. King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of the traditional Tooro Kingdom died of cancer at the end of August at the age of just 34. Thousands of people took part in the mourning rituals and his burial.

Oyo was crowned in 1995 when he was just three years old and last year was recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the world's youngest king. Uganda's traditional kings are not allowed to be politically active and primarily take on social and ceremonial tasks.

Oyo was committed, among other things, to environmental protection and the fight against HIV/AIDS. The Anglican Church of Uganda announced it would plant 15 million trees in his memory.

Dispute over succession

A dispute broke out over Oyo's successor after his death. At times, an amateur footballer living in London was also discussed as a possible new king. With the funeral, Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma was introduced as his successor. Parts of the royal family, including Oyo's mother, had opposed the choice of the 56-year-old, who works as a producer and news anchor at state television station UBC.

During the burial, a senior priest led the coffin and the heir to the throne on foot to the royal graves, six kilometers away. There the future king placed barkcloth on Oyo's body, threw nine coffee berries into the grave and poured milk from a calabash onto the ground. This will introduce the new king to the spirits and ask for their protection, said Tooro elder Adam Nyakaana of the German Press Agency.