Tooro Kingdom

Kingdom of Tooro
Obukama bwa Tooro (Tooro)
Flag of Tooro
Flag
Coat of arms of Tooro
Coat of arms
Anthem: "Agutamba"
Location of Tooro (red) in Uganda (pink).
Location of Tooro (red) in Uganda (pink).
StatusTraditional kingdom
Capital
and largest city
Fort Portal
Official languagesRutooro, English
RutooroRutooro
Ethnic groups
many ethnicities but the indigenous are; Batooro, Bakonzo, Babwisi, Bamba, Batuku and Songora[citation needed]
DemonymTooro
GovernmentConstitutional monarchy
• Monarch
Edward Rukidi Nyabongo I
Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki
LegislatureOrukurato Orukuru
Independence
• from the Kingdom of Bunyoro
1830, 1876
• Monarchy abolished
1967
• Monarchy restored
1993
CurrencyUgandan shilling
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)
Calling code256
Tooro
PersonOmutooro
PeopleAbatooro
LanguageOrutooro
CountryObukama bwa Tooro
Tooro Palace
Parliament of Tooro Kingdom
The original Kingdom of Tooro (red) and its districts. Lakes Albert and Victoria and other bodies of water are shaded blue.

The Tooro Kingdom is one of the 17 recognised traditional kingdoms located within the borders of Uganda.

The people native to the kingdom are the Batooro, and their language is likewise called Rutooro. The Batooro and those of the neighbouring kingdom of Bunyoro, speak the Runyoro/Rutooro dialect of the Runyakitara language and share a similar background and cultural traits. The Batooro 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.

In 1967, with the ratification of the Third constitution of Uganda, Tooro's monarchy was abolished, alongside the monarchies of Bunyoro, Buganda, Ankole, and Busoga, but was reinstated in 1993.

The Tooro Palace at Karuzika Hill overlooking Fort Portal Town

Cultural influence

The Austrian painter Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928–2000) spent some time there in the 1960s where he painted a number of works and named them after the kingdom.

The Batooro people have a strong culture but similar in stratification to Banyoro. They have a strong cultural naming system (PET NAME) 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, Abooki, Akiiki, Ateenyi, Adyeeri, Atwooki, Abwooli, Araali, Acaali, Bbala, and Okaali.

Abakama ba Tooro (Kings of Tooro)

The following is a list of the Abakama of Tooro since 1800:

  1. Olimi I: 1822–1865
  2. Ruhaga of Tooro: 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
    1. Interregnum, reverted to Bunyoro: 1880–1891
  10. Kyebambe III: 1891–1928
  11. Rukidi III: 1929–1965
  12. Olimi III: 1965–1967 and 1993–1995
    1. in pretence: 1967–1993 (monarchy abolished)
  13. Rukidi IV: 1995–2026
  14. Nyabongo I, September 2026–present.

See also

Bibliography

Notes

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Today in History: Toro king passes on". www.newvision.co.ug. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  2. 1 2 3 Turyahikayo, B. (1976). "Review of A Dynastic History "The Kingdom of Toro in Uganda"". Transafrican Journal of History. 5 (2): 194–200. ISSN 0251-0391. JSTOR 24520247.
  3. ↑ "Uganda Batoro - Flags, Maps, Economy, History, Climate, Natural Resources, Current Issues, International Agreements, Population, Social Statistics, Political System". photius.com. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  4. ↑ "Hundertwasser - One Toro in the Kingdom of the Mountains of the Moon". hundertwasser.com (in German). Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  5. ↑ "Kingdom of the Toro von Friedensreich Hundertwasser auf artnet". Archived from the original on 2020-07-31.
  6. ↑ "The Kingdom of Toro". www.torokingdom.org. Archived from the original on 2020-08-12. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  7. 1 2 "UNESCO - Empaako tradition of the Batooro, Banyoro, Batuku, Batagwenda and Banyabindi of western Uganda". ich.unesco.org. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Empaako Ceremony, Origin and meaning". The Ugandan. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  9. 1 2 "Home". Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  10. 1 2 "Pet Names (Empaako) and Their Meaning". BigEye.ug. 2015-11-02. Retrieved 2020-05-30.
  11. ↑ "How Kijanangoma was chosen as King of Tooro". Monitor. 2026-09-10. Retrieved 2026-09-11.
  12. ↑ "UBC News Anchor Prince Edward Kijanangoma Rukidi Named New Tooro King - Nymy Net". 2026-09-09. Retrieved 2026-09-11.