'A King that’ll never be forgotten,' Princess Komuntale shares final farewell to fallen brother

Princess Ruth Komuntale once again paid a moving tribute to her brother, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, describing him as a loving and God-fearing man whose name and legacy will live on for generations.

Komuntale shared the message on social media nearly three weeks after Oyo died in the United States while undergoing cancer treatment. 

He was 34. 

The post was her first dedicated social media farewell to her brother since his death.

She accompanied the tribute with family photographs capturing a different side of the monarch away from his royal duties. 

They included moments from family holidays, adventures and Komuntale’s wedding.

Part of the message was drawn from the tribute she delivered during Oyo’s final church service at St John’s Cathedral in Fort Portal on September 12, 2026, hours before his burial at the Karambi Royal Tombs.

“When I think about my brother, I think first of the person behind the crown. He was a God-fearing man,” she said.

“My brother and I loved reminiscing about the good old days—about growing up as children and all the ways we used to make mama run for her money,” she said.

Komuntale said Oyo had a talent for mimicking people's voices and mannerisms and often used it to entertain those close to him.

Even though he was the younger sibling, she said Oyo often behaved like the elder brother and took on a protective role after the death of their father, King Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III.

“I suppose it was because he felt he had to protect Mama and I after Dad left us to be with the Lord.”

Oyo ascended the Tooro throne in 1995 at the age of three after his father's death, attracting international attention as one of the world's youngest monarchs. He went on to reign for more than three decades. Komuntale said she watched her brother carry responsibilities few people could imagine from such a young age.

“I watched him grow, learn, lead, pray, struggle, persevere, and love. I am incredibly proud of you Amooti,” she said.

She added that she wished she had more time with him to hear his stories and laugh with him again.

“You have left behind love. You have left behind memories. You have left behind family. You have left behind a generation that will forever know your name,” Komuntale said.

“And you have left behind a legacy that will continue long after today.”

Komuntale briefly became one of the leading voices in the dispute over who should succeed her brother.

The Babiito royal clan selected Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as the new Omukama, but Komuntale challenged the decision before Oyo's burial. She said her brother had left a 2022 will that provided for his biological son to inherit the throne. 

Komuntale, backed by Queen Mother Best Kemigisa and Princess Elizabeth Bagaya, argued that the royal family needed time to examine the will with lawyers before the succession process proceeded. The Babiito leadership defended its process and maintained that it had authority to choose Oyo's successor.

The dispute briefly threatened to overshadow Oyo's final send-off.

Kijanangoma was proclaimed the new king and participated in succession rituals at Karambi Royal Tombs on September 12. However, Oyo's immediate family maintained its objection to the process. 

Komuntale made no reference to the succession dispute in her latest farewell. Instead, she focused on her relationship with Oyo and the memories they shared away from public life.

“So, my baby brother, rest now. Your work on this earth is done. May God receive you with open arms,” she said.

“Thank you for the life we shared. Thank you for the memories. Thank you for being my brother. I love you, and I always will.”