Leaders from Tooro Sub-region have intensified calls for the establishment of a dedicated regional cancer institute in Fort Portal in honour of the late Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, who died of aggressive cancer in the United States on 27 August 2026 at the age of 34.

Ntoroko District Woman MP Jennifer Mujungu, a cousin of the late monarch, made the appeal on Friday, 4 September, as the King’s remains were received back in Uganda and transported to Karuziika Palace. Speaking against the backdrop of deep national mourning, Mujungu said the King’s death should serve as a wake-up call for improved cancer services in the region.

“As we all know, our Majesty died of cancer. As the people of Tooro, we ask the government to put for us in the Tooro region a cancer institute so that all of us can access it for check-ups and, in case of any detection, for early treatment and management because now it is becoming a very terrible disease,” Mujungu stated.

Her call echoes an earlier demand by the Tooro Parliamentary Forum. On 1 September, the Forum’s Chairperson and Mwenge North MP, Dr Lawrence Akugizibwe, urged Government to set up a regional cancer centre in Fort Portal to be named the King Oyo Cancer Institute. Addressing the media at Parliament, Akugizibwe described the late Omukama as a development-oriented monarch who championed the fight against poverty, HIV/AIDS, environmental protection and tourism.

“We call upon the people of Tooro to remain calm and united during this mourning period. We also appeal to Government to consider establishing a regional cancer centre in Fort Portal to be named the King Oyo Cancer Institute, in honour of his legacy,” Akugizibwe said.

The appeals come as Uganda grapples with a rising cancer burden. The Uganda Cancer Institute estimates between 34,000 and 36,000 new cases annually, while specialised treatment remains heavily concentrated in Kampala. Patients from western Uganda, including Tooro, often travel long distances for radiotherapy and advanced care. Previous government pledges to establish regional cancer centres in places such as Mbarara, Mbale and Arua have faced delays, a point the Opposition Forum for Democratic Change has repeatedly raised following the King’s death.

Health Minister Dr Chris Baryomunsi has already used the occasion of parliamentary tributes to urge Ugandans to prioritise regular cancer screening. He disclosed that the Omukama succumbed to cancer and described the disease as an epidemic requiring national attention.

King Oyo’s body arrived at Entebbe International Airport on 4 September and was received by President Yoweri Museveni before being airlifted to Kyegegwa and transported by road to Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal. The official nine-day mourning period is under way, with burial scheduled for 12 September — the same date the late monarch would have marked his 31st coronation anniversary.

The late Omukama ascended the throne in 1995 at the age of three following the death of his father, becoming the world’s youngest reigning traditional monarch at the time. His death has plunged Tooro Kingdom and the wider nation into grief, while also spotlighting gaps in Uganda’s cancer care infrastructure.

Establishing a specialised facility in Fort Portal would not only serve as a lasting tribute to King Oyo but also bring early detection and treatment closer to the more than two million people of Tooro and neighbouring communities. Whether Government responds to these calls remains to be seen, but the message from Tooro leaders is clear: the late King’s battle with cancer must not be in vain.