When King Oyo fasted for 6 days as Museveni mocked his protest over assets

What the report says

In July 2014, Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of Tooro Kingdom staged a six-day fast at Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal to protest the recognition of two new cultural institutions in western Uganda and the slow return of kingdom assets. According to The Observer, Tooro leaders saw the move as affecting territory that had historically belonged to the kingdom before the abolition of kingdoms in 1967. The institutions involved were Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu in Kasese and Obudhingiya Bwa Bwamba in Bundibugyo.

The protest was announced after Tooro premier Dr Stephen Kaliba said the king would fast in response to the creation of the institutions without consultation. Oyo invited subjects and religious leaders to join him, and the palace received visitors during the fast. The Observer reported that he spent the period in prayer and broke the fast each evening with a simple meal.

President Yoweri Museveni, who had served as one of Oyo’s guardians since he became king in 1995, responded publicly at his Rwakitura home and appeared to dismiss the protest. The remark angered some Tooro supporters and was followed by demonstrations in Fort Portal, where police used teargas and arrested at least four people. The dispute over cultural boundaries and assets was not settled at the time, though The Observer noted that Oyo and Museveni later signed a memorandum of understanding in 2019 aimed at addressing outstanding issues.