King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, the traditional ruler of Uganda’s Tooro Kingdom who was recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s youngest reigning monarch, has died at the age of 34.

The monarch’s death was announced on Friday, August 28, by Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki, who described it as a major loss to the royal family and the people of Tooro.

King Oyo died on Thursday, August 27. The cause of death has not been officially disclosed. However, local media reports quoted a Ugandan government minister as saying the king had been critically ill and was receiving medical treatment in the United States.

Born into Uganda’s royal family, Oyo became the king of Tooro in 1995 at just three years old following the death of his father. His accession to the throne made him the world’s youngest reigning monarch, a distinction later recorded by Guinness World Records.

The Tooro monarch served as the 13th king of the kingdom and was regarded as the traditional leader of more than two million people in western Uganda.

In his statement announcing the death, Prime Minister Akiiki urged residents of Tooro to remain united and peaceful as the kingdom mourns its monarch.

He said the king’s death represented an “immeasurable loss” to the royal family and the wider Tooro community, while offering prayers for the late monarch.

King Oyo was not officially married. However, the Tooro Kingdom prime minister said the royal succession would continue, revealing that the late monarch had left behind a prince who would serve as his heir.

According to Akiiki, the identity of the prince will be officially announced at the appropriate time, following the traditions and customs governing the Tooro Kingdom.

The Tooro Kingdom uses a hereditary system of succession, with the monarchy passed through the royal family.

When Oyo ascended the throne in 1995, a regency council was established to govern on his behalf because of his young age. The arrangement included his mother, the Queen Mother, and remained in place until he reached adulthood.

Oyo was formally crowned at the age of 18, marking the beginning of his direct reign over the kingdom.

His death brings an end to the reign of a monarch whose extraordinary accession to the throne at the age of three made him an internationally recognised figure and one of Uganda’s most prominent traditional rulers.