By Spy Uganda Investigations Desk
The controversy surrounding the health of Tooro King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV has taken a fresh twist after a close source in State House claimed that the royal family quietly sought financial assistance from President Yoweri Museveni to help clear medical bills incurred abroad by both Oyo and his mother Best Kemigisa.
The new revelation comes a day after the Tooro Kingdom dismissed reports that the 34-year-old King was seriously ill, insisting in an unsigned statement that “His Majesty the King was well” and that he is abroad for official engagements and to further his studies.
However, our reliable source in state House told our Spy that the royal family allegedly wrote to President Museveni seeking financial assistance towards the King’s medical expenses abroad.
The source questioned the contradiction between the alleged request and the Kingdom’s denial of illness.
“If they’re denying, does it mean their letter to the President seeking for financial support towards medical bills abroad was fraud? Were they trying to defraud the President to pretend they’re seriously sick whereas not?” the source wondered.
TheSpy Uganda has not independently verified the alleged letter, its contents, the amount reportedly sought, or whether President Museveni actually provided any financial assistance. However, another source from the royal family this morning told our Spy that King Oyo and his team received shs6 billion recently from government days after they had arrived in US. But couldn’t confirm whether the alleged money was indeed president’s contribution towards the medical bills for both mom and son.
The revelation nonetheless raises fresh questions about the circumstances surrounding the King’s stay in the United States.
On August 2, TheSpy Uganda reported, citing sources close to the royal family, that King Oyo was reportedly receiving medical attention in the US and had allegedly been admitted to an ICU. The same sources claimed that he was battling cancer, although no medical record or official confirmation was available at the time.
The Tooro Kingdom responded the following day, describing the reports as “false and misleading” and maintaining that the King was in good health.
The Kingdom further urged the public to rely only on official communications and reject what it called malicious rumours and defamatory misinformation.
But the latest State House claim has now reopened the debate, particularly because it introduces an alleged documentary trail, a purported request for financial assistance, which could potentially shed light on why the royal family was seeking substantial support from the President.
King Oyo reportedly has a close relationship with President Museveni, whom he regards as his “Mujwara Kondo,” a revered royal warrior, since the demise of his father King Patrick David Mathew Olimi Kaboyo III, who in 1980 almost lost his life for defending a guerrilla Museveni at the time.
The current controversy has also revived memories of the sudden death of Oyo’s father, in 1995, which generated questions and controversy within sections of the royal family.
That history partly explains why reports concerning the current King’s health have attracted such intense public attention.
For now, the central question remains: If the royal family indeed sought presidential assistance for medical bills abroad, what exactly was contained in that request, and what medical circumstances prompted it?
TheSpy Uganda will continue seeking independent documentary and official confirmation of the claims. Watch the Space…
