KING OYO BURIAL RITES BEGIN! Grave Preparations, Rituals Underway at Royal Grounds
In front is a ritual house where the body of the King will first be entered before being taken to its final resting place besides his father and grand fathers
FORT PORTAL: Preparations for the burial of the late Tooro King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV have intensified at the royal burial grounds in Karambi I Village as the kingdom awaits the repatriation of his remains from the United States.
The royal burial grounds, locally known as Amagasani, have been placed under tight traditional control as workers and ritualists begin preparations for the final resting place of the late monarch.
As of Sunday, workers were busy rehabilitating the access road to the burial grounds, while others swept and cleaned the compound ahead of the funeral.
Members of the public and journalists have been barred from entering the burial grounds, where traditional rituals have already commenced.
Young men, who also serve as ritualists, were seen inside the structures housing the graves of former Tooro monarchs carrying out “okweza”, a customary ritual involving the cleaning of the king’s resting place and his instruments of power.
The ritualists also perform specific traditional songs during the exercise, which is traditionally restricted to men, with women not allowed to participate.
One of the ritualists told URN that preparations to dig King Oyo’s grave, known as “Iziba,” are expected to begin this week.
The sacred burial grounds already house the remains of three former Tooro kings—Omukama Daudi Kyebambe Kasagama IV, Sir George Kamurasi Rukidi III and Omukama Patrick Mathew Kaboyo Olomi VII.
The site remains strictly off-limits to visitors as preparations for King Oyo’s final resting place continue.
The person charged with preparing the king’s grave, known as “Omusuuna,” oversees the traditional rites at the burial site and will later receive the monarch’s body through a series of customary rituals when the remains arrive.
Meanwhile, preparations are also gathering pace at Karuzika Palace, the official residence of the Tooro monarch in Fort Portal.
Renovation works are ongoing on the road linking the palace gate to the main buildings as the kingdom gets ready to host funeral activities for the late King.
King Oyo’s remains have not yet been repatriated from the United States, but the Tooro Kingdom continues to mobilise for the funeral and burial in line with the traditions and customs governing the passing of a monarch.
The preparations at Amagasani and Karuzika Palace mark the beginning of the final traditional rites for King Oyo, whose death has triggered a period of mourning across the Tooro Kingdom.
About Post Author
