Uganda's youngest king returns home for burial amid succession dispute

The body of Uganda’s King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, recognized by Guinness World Records as the world’s youngest reigning monarch, has returned from the United States, where he died at 34 while receiving cancer treatment. President Yoweri Museveni joined mourners at Entebbe Airport before the remains were transported to the Tooro Kingdom’s royal palace in Fort Portal. The king will lie in state during a nine-day mourning period, with public tributes and evening prayers, before his burial on September 12 at the Karambi Royal Tombs. King Oyo ascended the throne at age 3 in 1995 and was formally crowned at 18, becoming a prominent cultural figure who promoted education, health care and youth-focused initiatives. A succession dispute has emerged within the royal family, including questions about a reported child who could be an heir.