Throwback Thursday: Crown Prince Who Became King At Three

Not to be mistaken for the youngest king in the history of the world as there are several others in history who became king even before they could crawl.

Kings like King Shah Shapur II of Persia (before birth), Alfonso XIII of Spain (a day old), Ivan VI of Russia (two months old), and Henry VI of Britain (nine months old).

King Rukirabasaija Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV of Tooro Kingdom in Uganda currently holds the spot in the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s youngest reigning monarch. A position he took over from Mswati III of Swaziland who became king by 18.

Unlike many young boys his age, King Oyo was no ordinary boy as he assumed the role of the ruler of Toro kingdom as a toddler after the untimely death of his father.

A Brief History of Tooro Kingdom

The people of Tooro Kingdom also known as the Botoro, are 3.2% of the 35.5 million people of Uganda (as of 2012). Their history dates as far back as the 14th century.

During pre-colonial times, Uganda was made up of several sovereign kingdoms and those kingdoms were ruled by kings and chiefs.

The north and northeastern communities were loosely set up and ruled by clan leaders while other kingdoms in areas like Bunyoro, Buganda, Ankole, and Tooro were organized kingdoms.

History records that the Toro Kingdom was founded in 1830, by prince Olimi Kaboyo Omukama — the eldest son of the king of Bunyoro — when he annexed the southern part of the Bunyoro kingdom.

In 1967, the Tooro monarchy was abolished by Melton Obote, a leader in the nationalist movement who was opposed to the collaboration between the kings and the British Colonial Authorities.

By the 1970s and 1980s, several leaders in the kingdom were forced into exile until 1993, due to an amendment in the Uganda constitution, the monarchy was reinstated.

Oyo’s Reign

In 1995, the king of Tooro Kingdom, King Kaboyo passed away, leaving his only son as the next heir to the throne. In September 1995, by 2 am, a three-year-old Oyo was required to begin his coronation rites.

The ceremony included, a mock battle between the enemy forces of a rebel prince and the royal army, performed at the palace entrance.

There’s also a test carried out by the head of the royal clan the Omusuga which the young prince must pass or be struck by the gods of the land. The test is done to test the divine rights of the new heir to see if he was of royal blood

When King Oyo passed the divine rights test, he was permitted to sound the sacred chwezi drum (Nyalebi) just as his forefathers did before becoming king. After this, he was blessed to rule wisely and successfully. Then, a white hen and a bull were sacrificed in his honor as the entire kingdom celebrated the king.

King Oyo attended the University of Winchester in the United Kingdom — where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree. Currently 30 years old, and still very close to his mother Queen Olimi, King Oyo is said to be quite passionate about the environment.

Over the years he has shown interest in planting trees and also participating in street cleaning in Fort Portal. Apparently, his doing the best he can to be an outstanding leader to his people.


Discover more from LN247

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Advertisement

Most Popular This Week

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Posts

Advertisement

Discover more from LN247

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading