By Spy Uganda
A number of mourners who had gathered at Karuzika Palace in Fort Portal to pay their final respects to the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV have reportedly left the palace, with some citing concerns over food shortages and the completion of their mourning rituals.
The development comes after thousands of Batooro and other mourners gathered at the palace following the death of the Tooro King and remained at the royal residence as they awaited the arrival of his body and subsequent burial arrangements.
According to youths who spoke to TheSpy, some local mourners complained that they had struggled to access meals during their stay at the palace, despite arrangements having been made to provide food to people attending the mourning ceremonies.
The youths alleged that some food suppliers were serving mainly VIPs and other selected individuals, leaving ordinary mourners with little or no food.
“Food suppliers only give key people like VIPs and abandon the locals. After a few plates of food to key people, they say food is over,” one of the youths claimed.
The allegations, however, could not be independently verified, and they have been disputed by people involved in the provision of services at the palace.
An official associated with the service providers dismissed the complaints, arguing that some of those raising concerns were allegedly attempting to obtain multiple meals by moving through different food-serving queues.
“Some people have been lining up in every queue and eating multiple times. Those are the ones complaining,” the official said.
The complaints have nevertheless raised questions about the logistics involved in feeding the large number of mourners who gathered at Karuzika Palace during the mourning period.
Sources said the security and burial arrangements had provided for a daily allocation of about 1,000 people for breakfast, lunch and supper, while Government reportedly set aside approximately Shs1.7 billion for the wider burial ceremony.
The reported departure of mourners also coincided with the arrival of King Oyo’s remains at the palace, giving many of those who had remained at Karuzika an opportunity to see the fallen monarch and pay their final respects.
According to some youths, this was the main reason they had endured the difficult conditions at the palace for several days.
They said that after seeing the King’s body and paying their allegiance, they felt they had fulfilled their immediate purpose and could return home.
Observers also noted that the number of people staying at the palace appeared to have declined significantly, with empty tents visible around the premises during the night, in contrast to the crowds witnessed in the days leading up to the arrival of the King’s remains.
Other sources also claimed that some service providers had left the palace amid disagreements over payments, although details surrounding the alleged disputes remain unclear.
The developments highlight the enormous logistical challenge involved in managing large crowds during a royal funeral, particularly when thousands of mourners, officials, cultural leaders and other guests converge at one location over several days.
As Tooro Kingdom continues with the burial programme for the late King Oyo, attention is expected to remain on the organisation of the ceremonies, the welfare of mourners and the management of resources allocated towards the historic farewell.
Despite the complaints, the mourning period has continued to attract large numbers of Batooro and other Ugandans seeking to honour the late monarch and participate in the kingdom’s traditional farewell ceremonies.
