FORT PORTAL, Uganda — Journalists assigned to cover the final vigil for the late King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV declined to attend a police briefing on Friday, after they were stopped from entering Tooro Kingdom’s royal palace with cameras and other recording equipment.
Security at Karuziika Palace was tightened sharply on Friday, with officers turning away journalists and some mourners who attempted to bring cameras and mobile phones onto the grounds.
The palace had been busy throughout the day as members of the public gathered for the final vigil ahead of King Oyo’s burial on Saturday at the Karambi Royal Tombs.
Despite enforcing the ban at the gates, security officers were unable to say who had issued it, and officials inside the palace distanced themselves from the directive when asked. The confusion left journalists frustrated and, in protest, most opted to skip a police briefing convened just outside the palace shortly afterwards.
Reporters said they were unwilling to attend without their equipment, arguing that cameras and phones were essential tools for gathering information, photographing the proceedings and sending live updates to their audiences.
Wilson Asiimwe of Vision Group called the decision unfortunate, noting that event organisers had only recently praised journalists for their role in keeping the public informed. He said security concerns could have been resolved through dialogue rather than a blanket ban on equipment.
Ivan Niwamanya of Life FM in Fort Portal said the restriction stopped him from providing live updates, since he could not bring his phone into the palace grounds.
Doreen Ninsiima, a journalist who has covered Tooro Kingdom ceremonies extensively, said the move came as a surprise. She said the royal family and the Babiito clan had repeatedly invited journalists to briefings throughout the mourning period and had never previously raised concerns about media coverage.
When journalists pressed police spokesperson SP Kituma Rusoke for an explanation, he said he would consult his superiors on whether reporters could be allowed back into the palace with their cameras and phones.
Friday’s restrictions were not the first to affect access to the palace during the mourning period.
Organisers had earlier asked members of the public viewing the king’s body to leave phones behind, after an individual reportedly recorded footage of the late king inside the palace and shared it on social media — a measure later extended to include watches, bags and other personal items.
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It was not clear whether Friday’s restriction on journalists’ equipment was connected to those earlier measures or a separate decision.
The friction over media access comes as Tooro Kingdom prepares to bury King Oyo, whose death on 27 August has also set off a dispute over who should succeed him.
Babiito clan elders have named Prince Edward Rukidi Kijanangoma as king-elect, a decision contested by the late king’s immediate family, who say his will points to a different heir.
Saturday’s burial, coinciding with what would have been the 31st anniversary of King Oyo’s coronation, is expected to draw visiting monarchs, government officials and mourners from across Uganda and beyond.
