The President also recalled the close cooperation between Uganda and Tanzania, citing trade, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, the Murongo-Kyikagate mini-hydro project, roads in Tanzania, the Masaka-Bukoba transmission line and the Standard Gauge Railway, which has reached Isaka and is expected to extend towards Uganda and beyond.

Despite the historic nature of the position, Hafidh generally kept his personal life away from the centre of political attention, appearing occasionally alongside his wife at public and political events.

The Kingdom has further called upon all media houses, journalists, photographers and content creators covering the funeral proceedings to work within the established media coordination arrangements and to respect the privacy of the Royal Family and those closest to His Majesty as they mourn.

As the Omuguta of Ikingura Oyo returns to Uganda, attention will turn to his final rites and the mourning process, and the dispute over his successor is likely to become an increasingly important issue for the Tooro Kingdom as it prepares for a new chapter in its monarchy.

The President said he later learnt from Queen Mother Best Kemigisa that Oyo had left behind a young boy who would eventually be presented to the public.

Now, as the royal drums fall silent, Uganda waits to see how the kingdom will honour the Omukama and begin the next chapter of its history.

Harald was born on February 21st, 1937, and his early childhood was shaped by the Second World War. When Nazi Germany invaded Norway in 1940, the young prince and members of his family went into exile in the United States before eventually returning home after the war.