Oyo Nyimba, a Ugandan king who became the world’s youngest reigning monarch when he took the crown in 1995, has died aged 34, the prime minister of his kingdom announced Friday.

Uganda is a republic ruled by an elected head of state, but it has several traditional monarchies that continue to preside over kingdoms as constituted during the pre-colonial period.

Their political power is largely symbolic, but the traditional rulers wield enormous cultural and social influence across their respective kingdoms and communities throughout Uganda today.

Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV was the King of Tooro, a small kingdom in western Uganda, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“It is with profound sadness and a heavy heart that I announce the passing of His Majesty the Omukama of Tooro, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV,” the prime minister, Calvin Akiiki, said in a post on X.

The king died at around 10:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, Mr Akiiki said, without revealing the cause of his death or providing further details about circumstances surrounding it.

Rukidi IV was crowned at just three years old on September 12, 1995, after the death of his father, Rukirabasaija Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III, officials said.

Balaam Barugahara, a minister in the government of President Yoweri Museveni, said shortly before the announcement of the king’s death that he was receiving treatment in the United States.

“This is an immeasurable loss,” the prime minister said, adding that the unmarried king had left an heir and that “continuity of the Crown is assured.”

His death triggered an outpouring of grief across social media platforms in Uganda, alongside widespread media coverage nationally, as tributes poured in from political leaders and members of the public.

“Most devastating news! May His Majesty the King’s soul rest in eternal peace,” Bobi Wine, Ugandan pop star-turned-politician and the country’s leading opposition leader, said in a post on X.

In April, in a message celebrating the King’s birthday, Tooro’s prime minister had said: “Our King is not distant from the realities of his people; he is part of this generation.

“Also part of this ecosystem, growing, learning, and leading… His youth is not a limitation; it is a strength. It brings energy, fresh perspective, and the courage to imagine a different future for Tooro.”

(NAN)