Coronation
The death of his father King Kaboyo in 1995 meant the Crown Prince had to assume the role of King during his toddler years. At 2 a.m. on 12 September 1995, a week after the late king's burial, the rituals to hand over the reins of power to Oyo began. They included a mock battle at the palace entrance fought between enemy forces of a “rebel” prince and the royal army, and a test of Oyo's divine right to the throne, in which the Omusuga, head of the royal clan, called on the gods to strike Oyo dead if he was not of royal blood. On passing the test, Oyo was permitted to sound the Nyalebe, a sacred Chwezi drum, as his forefathers had done. He was then blessed with the blood of a slaughtered bull and a white hen.
At 4 a.m, Oyo was crowned King amidst a jubilant crowd and entered the palace as the new ruler of the Kingdom of Toro. He was served his first meal as King, which consisted of millet dough. He sat in the lap of a virgin girl, and he swore allegiance to the Crown while lying on his side on the ground.
The cultural rituals were followed by a religious ceremony presided over by the Anglican Bishop, Eustance Kamanyire. President Museveni attended the coronation celebrations and paid tribute to the new King.
Read more about this topic: Rukidi IV Of Toro