You Stood With Him! Queen Mother Kemigisa Hails Sudhir Ruparelia For Supporting King Oyo’s Education & Fitness

By Frank Kamuntu

The Queen Mother of Tooro, Best Kemigisa, has paid tribute to businessman and philanthropist Dr Sudhir Ruparelia for the generosity and affection he extended to her late son, King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, throughout his life.

Speaking during the solemn burial service for the late King Oyo at St John’s Cathedral in Fort Portal on Friday, Queen Mother Kemigisa singled out Dr Ruparelia among the people who played a meaningful role in supporting the King during his formative years.

In an emotional message delivered before thousands of mourners, Kemigisa revealed that Dr Ruparelia was among the people who contributed to King Oyo’s education, particularly during his high school years.

She said Dr Ruparelia’s support for the young King, however, went beyond academics, extending to his personal interests and physical wellbeing.

According to the Queen Mother, King Oyo was passionate about exercise and maintaining physical fitness, a passion that Dr Ruparelia supported by giving him free access to the gym facilities at Speke Resort Munyonyo, one of the Ruparelia Group’s flagship hospitality establishments.

“Dr Sudhir Ruparelia is among those who educated my son in high school,” Kemigisa said, while expressing appreciation for the businessman’s continued support towards the late King.

She noted that Dr Ruparelia did not stop at helping with Oyo’s education and physical fitness but also guiding him, and building him into a man he was.

The Queen Mother’s remarks offered a deeply personal glimpse into the relationships that surrounded King Oyo away from his public duties as the cultural leader of the Tooro Kingdom.

Her tribute also highlighted the contribution of individuals outside the royal household who, in different ways, helped shape the life of the late King from his childhood into adulthood.

The burial service at St John’s Cathedral brought together thousands of mourners from across Tooro, Uganda and beyond, as the Kingdom bade farewell to its longest-serving monarch.

Among those attending were senior Tooro Kingdom officials, government representatives, cultural leaders, members of the royal family, friends and well-wishers who gathered to honour the late King.

The atmosphere at the cathedral was marked by grief, remembrance and reflection as mourners celebrated Oyo’s life and his contribution to the Tooro Kingdom.

King Oyo, who ascended to the throne as a child, grew into one of Uganda’s most recognisable cultural leaders. His reign was characterised by his gradual transition from a young monarch under the guidance of regents and elders into an adult King who increasingly took on responsibilities associated with the leadership of the kingdom.

Following the service at St John’s Cathedral, the body of the late King Oyo is expected to be taken to the Karambi Royal Tombs, where he will be laid to rest alongside his royal predecessors.

For the Queen Mother, the memories of those who stood by her son remain an important part of his legacy.

Her tribute to Dr Ruparelia was therefore not merely an acknowledgement of financial support, but a recognition of a relationship built around education, encouragement and a genuine interest in the wellbeing of the late King.

As Tooro prepares to lay its King to rest, such personal memories continue to paint a fuller picture of Oyo’s life beyond the throne, capturing the people and gestures that helped shape the man behind the crown.