The family and close friends of the late Tooro King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV are stepping up efforts to establish the King Oyo Foundation, with plans to transform his legacy into projects in health, sport, tourism and agriculture.
The family announced on Tuesday evening that work on the foundation was progressing behind the scenes, with Tom R Mujungu, a cousin of the late monarch, sharing images from a meeting held to discuss the initiative.
Mujungu said the work was being handled quietly but with a wider vision beyond simply preserving Oyo’s memory.
“The work is happening quietly, deliberately and with a much bigger vision than many can see today. There is far more at stake than meets the eye, and some things are better revealed through results than words,” he said.
He added that the foundation would seek to turn Oyo’s values and vision into projects capable of benefiting Tooro, Uganda and future generations.
“The King Oyo Foundation is coming, and when it does, the scale of what is being built will become clearer,” Mujungu said.
The latest development builds on plans announced last month by Oyo’s mother, Queen Mother Best Kemigisa, and his sister, Princess Ruth Nsemere Komuntale, to establish the King Oyo Memorial Foundation.
Kemigisa said President Yoweri Museveni had agreed to serve as patron and founding chairman of the proposed foundation, which is expected to provide a framework for several legacy projects.
One of the major proposals is the King Oyo Tooro Museum, which would preserve the late monarch’s personal belongings and important items from his life and reign.
According to Kemigisa, the museum would also document the wider history and culture of Tooro while contributing to tourism in Fort Portal.
The family expects the project to create opportunities for local guides, artists, craftspeople, hotels and other businesses connected to the tourism sector.
The family also wants to see the proposed King Oyo International Stadium developed.
Kemigisa previously said Oyo donated about 50 acres of land to the government during his lifetime for the development of a stadium.
The royal family hopes the facility can provide a platform for young people to develop sporting talent while also hosting competitions and major community events. Tooro legislators have also called for the proposed Buhinga stadium to proceed and be named after the late king.
Another ambitious proposal is the King Oyo Research and Teaching Hospital, envisioned as a modern health facility in Tooro with dedicated cancer and HIV research centres.
Kemigisa said the proposed facility would support treatment, medical training, research and early disease detection.
The plans have been influenced in part by Oyo’s own battle with angiosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer that led to his death in the United States on August 27, 2026, aged 34.
“If work carried out in my son’s name helps another mother keep her child, then his legacy will have performed one of its greatest acts of service,” Kemigisa said.
The family also plans to preserve and expand Oyo’s farm at Bugaaki into the King Oyo Model Farm.
The proposed centre would support agricultural education, innovation and community outreach, with schools, young people and farmers expected to benefit from training in modern farming, agribusiness and value addition.
The broader goal is to promote agricultural productivity and help improve household incomes.
Kemigisa has emphasised that the projects should go beyond simply carrying the late king’s name.
“These projects are not simply monuments bearing King Oyo’s name. They are his legacy put to work for the people,” she said.
King Oyo ruled Tooro for nearly 31 years after ascending the throne at the age of three in 1995. He was buried at the Karambi Royal Tombs on September 12, exactly 31 years after his enthronement.
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