Tooro Kingdom


Tooro is one of the five traditional kingdoms located within the borders of Uganda. The current Omukama of Toro is King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV. King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV took to the throne of Tooro kingdom in 1995 at the age of just three years, after the death of his father Omukama Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Rwamuhokya Olimi III on August 26, 1995, at the age of 50.
The people native to the kingdom are the Batooro, and their language is likewise called Rutooro. The Batoro and Banyoro speak closely related languages, Lutoro and Lunyoro, and share many other similar cultural traits. The Batoro live on Uganda's western border, south of Lake Albert.

History

The Tooro Kingdom evolved out of a breakaway segment of Bunyoro sometime before the nineteenth century. It was founded in 1830 when Omukama Kaboyo Olimi I, the eldest son of Omukama of Bunyoro Nyamutukura Kyebambe III of Bunyoro, seceded and established his own independent kingdom. Absorbed into Bunyoro-Kitara in 1876, it reasserted its independence in 1891.
As with Buganda, Bunyoro, and Busoga, Tooro's monarchy was abolished in 1967 by the Government of Uganda, but was reinstated in 1993.

Cultural influence

The Austrian painter Friedensreich Hundertwasser spent some time there in the 1960s where he painted a number of works and named them after the kingdom.. The Batoro people have a strong culture but similar in stratification to Bunyoro. They have got a strong cultural naming system known as Empaako. With the Empaako naming system, children are given one of twelve names shared across the communities in addition to their given and family names. Addressing someone by his or her Empaako is a positive affirmation of cultural ties. It can be used as a form of greeting or a declaration of affection, respect, honour or love. Use of Empaako can defuse tension or anger and sends a strong message about social identity and unity, peace and reconciliation. The Empaako names are: AMOOTI, ABBOOKI, AKIIKI, ATEENYI, ADYERI, ATWOKI, ABWOLI, ARAALI, ARAALI, ACAALI, BBALA and OKAALI. The use of Empaako can defuse tension or anger and sends a strong message about social identity, unity, peace and reconciliation.

''Abakama'' of Tooro

The following is a list of the Abakama of Tooro since 1800:
  1. Olimi I: 1822–1865
  2. Ruhaga of Toro: 1865–1866
  3. Nyaika Kyebambe I: 1866–1871 and 1871–1872
  4. Rukidi I: 1871
  5. Olimi II: 1872–1875
  6. Rukidi II: 1875–1875
  7. Rububi Kyebambe II: 1875 and 1877–1879
  8. Kakende Nyamuyonjo: 1875–1876 and 1879–1880
  9. Katera: 1876–1877
  10. #Interregnum, reverted to Bunyoro: 1880–1891
  11. Kyebambe III: 1891–1928
  12. Rukidi III: 1929–1965
  13. Olimi III: 1965–1967
  14. #in pretence: 1967–1993
  15. Rukidi IV: 1995