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The remains of the late Tooro King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV will arrive in Uganda on Friday as the Tooro Kingdom prepares to begin the final stages of mourning and traditional funeral rites.

Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister (Omuhikirwa) Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki confirmed the revised programme on Wednesday, ending earlier uncertainty over when the late monarch’s remains would return to Uganda.

The casket will be received at Entebbe International Airport, where President Yoweri Museveni is expected to pay his respects and convey condolences to the royal family before the body is transported to Tooro.

According to the revised programme, the remains will first be taken to Kyegegwa District before proceeding by road in a procession to Karuziika Palace in Fort Portal.

The return of the king’s remains will mark a significant transition in the mourning period, with traditional funeral ceremonies expected to shift to Tooro under the authority of the kingdom’s customary institutions.

Before the king’s remains arrive in Tooro, Parliament will on Thursday hold a special sitting to honour the late monarch and reflect on his contribution to Tooro and Uganda.

Parliament had already mourned King Oyo during its sitting on Tuesday, with Speaker Jacob Marksons Oboth describing his death as a deeply painful loss to both Tooro and the country.

“When a king departs, it is not only a family that mourns, a kingdom mourns, a people mourn and the nation feels the loss,” Oboth said.

MPs also observed a moment of silence for the late king, while the Speaker announced that a motion would be brought before the House to pay tribute to his life and contribution.

Musuuga to Lead Traditional Funeral Rites

The royal funeral will also place the Babiito royal clan at the centre of the traditional rites, with the Musuuga, the head of the royal clan, expected to oversee key cultural arrangements.

Tooro Kingdom recently issued protocols governing the funeral and succession process, placing Charles Kamurasi, head of the Babiito royal clan, at the centre of the traditional arrangements.

The resolutions were reached during a kingdom meeting held at Karuziika Palace on August 28.

The royal clan has also clarified that, according to Tooro custom, the official mourning period begins when the king’s remains arrive at Karuziika Palace.

This creates a distinction between the national mourning activities taking place in Kampala and the traditional rites that will formally begin once the remains return to Tooro.

King Oyo Died at 34

King Oyo died at approximately 10pm on Thursday, August 27, 2026, according to an official announcement issued by the Tooro Kingdom Prime Minister.

The king had been receiving medical treatment in the United States. However, his family and the kingdom have not publicly disclosed the specific cause of death.

Earlier on August 27, Rwomiire informed the public that the king was in critical condition and appealed for prayers and goodwill before the kingdom announced his death hours later.

From Three-Year-Old King to National Figure

Born on April 16, 1992, Oyo became Omukama of Tooro following the death of his father, King Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III, in 1995.

He was just three years old.

His accession on September 12, 1995 made him the world’s youngest reigning monarch, a distinction recognised by Guinness World Records.

Because of his young age, Oyo initially ruled under regents, with members of the royal family helping oversee the kingdom until he reached adulthood.

Over nearly 31 years on the throne, he grew from the internationally recognised “boy king” into a prominent cultural figure associated with cultural preservation, tourism, environmental conservation and development initiatives.

Who Will Succeed King Oyo?

As Tooro prepares to bury its king, attention is also turning to the question of who will inherit the throne.

Immediately after announcing Oyo’s death, Rwomiire said the late king had left behind a prince who would serve as his heir, although the identity would be revealed at the appropriate time in accordance with Tooro traditions.

The Babiito royal clan has maintained that it has a traditional role in determining the next monarch.

The kingdom has established a 21-member committee to participate in identifying Oyo’s successor, while maintaining that funeral and succession matters remain under the authority of the Musuuga.

For now, however, the immediate focus remains on bringing King Oyo’s remains back to the kingdom he inherited as a three-year-old.

His Friday arrival will usher Tooro into a new phase of mourning and traditional rites, as the kingdom prepares to bid farewell to a monarch whose reign spanned almost three decades.

Success used to be something people wanted others to see. Increasingly, young people want something they can actually feel.

For a generation raised in a world of likes, followers and viral moments, success has often been presented as something highly visible. A good job, a luxury lifestyle, a large online following or an impressive social media profile can easily appear to be proof that one has “made it.”

But behind the screens, a quieter revolution is taking place.

Across Africa, the Arab world and beyond, young people are increasingly redefining success—not by the amount of attention they receive, but by the stability, purpose, skills, well-being and real-life impact they are able to achieve.

This does not mean that young people are rejecting social media. Far from it. Social media remains an important part of modern youth culture, enabling young people to connect, express themselves, access information, learn new skills and build businesses. A 2025 Pew Research Center survey found that 74 per cent of teenagers said social media helps them feel connected to their friends, while 63 per cent said it provides them with a platform to demonstrate their creativity.

The change, however, lies in what young people expect from these platforms.

Increasingly, social media is becoming a tool rather than a scoreboard.

A young entrepreneur may use Instagram to reach customers and grow a business. A student may turn to TikTok or YouTube to learn a practical skill. A young activist may use digital platforms to draw attention to a community challenge. A creative may use social media to showcase talent and access opportunities beyond geographical borders.

The goal is no longer simply to be noticed. Increasingly, the goal is to turn visibility into something useful.

This shift is particularly significant for young people in Africa and the Arab world, where technology has opened new possibilities for cross-border cooperation, entrepreneurship, innovation and cultural exchange. Young people who may once have been separated by geography can now collaborate, share ideas and create opportunities across continents.

Yet the pressure to appear successful has also become impossible to ignore.

Social media often displays the final result but hides the struggle behind it. A successful business is celebrated without showing the years of failure, debt and uncertainty that preceded it. A beautiful home is posted without revealing the financial burden behind it. A career achievement appears without the rejection, sacrifice and setbacks that came before.

Young people are increasingly beginning to question this performance of success.

Deloitte’s 2026 Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey found that younger generations are increasingly seeking progress on their own terms, placing greater emphasis on stability, skills and well-being rather than simply pursuing fast-paced growth, higher incomes or traditional definitions of career advancement.

This represents an important shift.

Success no longer has to mean climbing faster than everyone else. It does not always mean earning the most money, becoming famous or having thousands—or millions—of followers. For a growing number of young people, success means building a sustainable life, acquiring valuable skills, protecting their mental and emotional well-being, becoming financially independent and creating meaningful impact.

Economic realities are also shaping this new understanding of success.

The International Labour Organization reported that global youth unemployment stood at 12.4 per cent in 2025, while approximately 260 million young people were not in employment, education or training. In such an environment, success can take on a deeply practical meaning: securing decent work, learning a marketable skill, starting a small business, supporting one’s family or creating employment opportunities for others.

For many young people, therefore, success is becoming quieter.

It can be a first salary that enables someone to contribute to their family’s needs. It can be completing a degree after years of sacrifice. It can be building a small business from nothing. It can mean acquiring a vocational skill, overcoming unemployment, helping to solve a community problem or becoming the first person in one’s family to enter a particular profession.

These achievements may never trend online.

They may never attract thousands of likes.

But they can change lives.

This is where youth-focused institutions and organisations have an important role to play. Young people should not simply be encouraged to become visible; they should be equipped with opportunities to participate, lead, innovate, create and solve real problems.

The Afro-Arab Youth Council (AAYC) has an important place in this conversation. As a platform that brings together young people from Africa and the Arab world, the Council recognises that the future of both regions will depend not merely on how visible their young people are, but on how empowered, skilled, connected and productive they become.

The relationship between Africa and the Arab world presents enormous opportunities for youth cooperation in entrepreneurship, education, technology, trade, innovation, culture and peacebuilding. Through stronger Afro-Arab partnerships, young people can move beyond being consumers of opportunities created by others and become creators of solutions for their own societies.

This is the kind of success that deserves greater attention.

The young entrepreneur who creates jobs for others may have fewer followers than a social media celebrity, but their impact can transform families and communities. The skilled young person who starts a small enterprise may never become famous, but their work can create economic independence. The young innovator who develops a solution to a local problem may never go viral, but their contribution can improve thousands of lives.

For the Afro-Arab Youth Council and other institutions working with young people, the challenge is therefore clear: create spaces where young people can connect across borders, exchange ideas, acquire skills, access opportunities and translate their ambitions into meaningful action.

Young people need more than applause. They need platforms.

They need more than followers. They need opportunities.

They need more than visibility. They need the skills, resources and networks necessary to turn their potential into progress.

The invisible revolution is therefore not about a generation giving up on ambition. It is about a generation redefining ambition.

The questions are changing.

From “How many people know me?” to “What have I built?”

From “How many likes did I receive?” to “What difference did I make?”

From “How impressive does my life look online?” to “Am I building a life that is stable, meaningful and successful for me?”

Perhaps the greatest achievement of today’s youth will not be the life that receives the most attention.

Perhaps it will be the business that creates jobs without ever trending online.

The skill that transforms a family.

The innovation that solves a community problem.

The partnership that connects young people across Africa and the Arab world.

The quiet contribution that continues to make a difference long after the applause has faded.

In a world obsessed with being seen, perhaps the most powerful revolution among today’s youth is the decision to build something worth seeing—even when nobody is watching.

The author works with the Afro-Arab Youth Council (AAYC).

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Ride-hailing company Uber has announced that it will wind down its operations in Uganda, bringing its nearly decade-long presence in the country to an end.

In an email sent to customers on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, Uber said it had made the decision to leave Uganda following a review of its business operations.

“After a thorough review of our business, we have made the tough decision to wind down our operations in Uganda, effective 2 September 2026,” the company said.

Uber first launched its services in Kampala in 2016, connecting customers with independent transportation providers.

The company described its time in Uganda as “an absolute privilege,” thanking customers for allowing it to be part of their daily lives.

The exit means Uber services will no longer be available to customers in Uganda from September 2.

Uber’s departure marks the end of a significant chapter in Uganda’s ride-hailing industry, where the company became one of the most recognisable platforms for on-demand transportation, particularly in Kampala.

The company’s entry in 2016 helped popularise app-based ride-hailing in Uganda, allowing users to request rides, track drivers and make payments through a digital platform.

However, the announcement has left customers and drivers facing questions about the immediate implications of the shutdown, particularly for people who relied on the platform for transportation or income.

Uber has not, in the portion of the announcement available, disclosed the specific reasons behind its decision to exit Uganda.

The company’s message characterised the decision as a difficult one following a “thorough review” of its business.

The development comes as Uganda’s digital transportation sector continues to evolve, with ride-hailing platforms competing for customers and drivers in an increasingly technology-driven mobility market.

Uganda has named its crude oil Pearl Sweet, giving the grade a commercial identity so it can be priced, marketed and sold to international refiners as the country moves to within weeks of its first oil.

President Yoweri Museveni unveiled the name on Wednesday at the Kingfisher oilfield on Lake Albert, operated by China’s CNOOC, one of two upstream projects that will supply the grade. He signed the name at a ceremony attended by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, Energy Minister Dr Monica Musenero and the energy ministry’s permanent secretary, Irene Batebe.

A crude grade cannot be quoted on trading screens or sold to refineries until it carries a name and a published assay setting out its density, sulphur content and refining yield. Musenero said the name carried meaning: “sweet” reflects the crude’s very low sulphur content, which makes it cheaper to refine, while “Pearl” ties the oil to Uganda, long branded the Pearl of Africa. UNOC, the state oil company, will market the grade on the government’s behalf alongside the global trading house Vitol.

Museveni said he had initially opposed the pipeline that will carry the crude for export, questioning why Uganda would ship out a resource its own economy could use. “Even this pipeline, I did not support it initially,” he told the gathering, saying he had relented only on condition that a domestic refinery took first call on the oil. “You can export some of the crude, but the refinery must get priority.”

That insistence, he argued, was commercial as much as political. Refining at home would avoid a pipeline transit fee that officials put at $12.77 a barrel to move crude to the Tanzanian coast, and would cut into an annual petroleum import bill of about $2bn. “We shall no longer spend $2bn a year importing petroleum,” he said. “We shall buy our own.”

On the wider windfall, the President set out a doctrine of “using the exhaustible to create durable capacity”, urging that oil earnings be channelled into power stations, railways and other lasting infrastructure rather than consumption. “Please don’t expect to import more perfumes, and more wines, and more cars,” he said. “The money will be to do durable things … for the grandchildren.”

The government retains between 65% and 80% of upstream revenue under its production-sharing agreements and expects the fields to earn about $2bn a year at peak. Joint-venture partners have committed about $15bn to the fields and pipeline since a 2022 final investment decision, of which roughly $7bn has been spent so far, including about $2.4bn on the Kingfisher facility.

Museveni also pointed to revenue from gas that would once have been flared. Associated gas separated at Kingfisher will instead generate about 80 megawatts of electricity — which he likened to half the output of the old Nalubaale hydropower station — and feed a plant producing liquefied petroleum gas for cooking. He put the combined earnings at about $100m a year, some $30m from power and $70m from LPG, alongside lower carbon emissions.

Pearl Sweet will be produced from two fields with identical ownership: TotalEnergies holds 56.67%, CNOOC 28.33% and UNOC 15%, though CNOOC operates Kingfisher and TotalEnergies the larger Tilenga project. Kingfisher is expected to contribute about 40,000 barrels a day at peak and Tilenga, roughly four times its size, about 190,000, for a combined 230,000 barrels a day.

Batebe said Kingfisher was about 80% complete, with first-oil readiness at 98% and commissioning tests underway ahead of first oil she expected by the end of September. Its central processing facility, which Museveni toured before the naming, has reached mechanical completion and is built to handle 40,000 barrels a day; the tour took in the plant’s crude oil, water-separation and LPG units. At Tilenga, more than 210 wells had been drilled by July, past the minimum needed for first oil, while work continues on its processing facility.

The crude is waxy and low in sulphur and solidifies at normal temperatures, so it must be kept hot. It will travel to the Tanzanian port of Tanga through the 1,443km East African Crude Oil Pipeline, heated along its full length and now 92.7% complete, according to Batebe. A separate feeder line of about 47.5km links Kingfisher to the shared facilities at Kabaale in Hoima, where the crude joins the main pipeline.

The government is also advancing a refinery designed to process 60,000 barrels a day, expandable to 120,000, with UNOC taking a 40% stake and a final investment decision expected in February 2027. Museveni and Musenero both cast the refinery as central to keeping value in the country rather than exporting raw crude.

The Lake Albert basin holds an estimated 6.5 billion barrels of oil, of which up to 1.7 billion are recoverable, according to UNOC. Museveni said Kingfisher and Tilenga together tapped only about 40% of the basin, and Batebe said exploration would extend into the Kadam, Moroto, Lake Kyoga and Hoima basins, with a third licensing round planned this year. Uganda joins other recent African entrants in branding its crude: Ghana markets its oil as Jubilee, and Senegal began exporting its Sangomar grade in 2024.

Batebe said more than 18,000 people were employed in the sector, 91% of them Ugandan and more than 5,000 drawn from host communities, with Ugandans holding most management, technical and support roles. Ugandan firms had won $2.27bn of the $7bn spent so far. Musenero said more than 14,000 Ugandans had been trained and certified, and that the sector had generated an estimated 39,000 indirect and 113,000 induced jobs.

Nabbanja credited the oil programme with a wave of development in the Bunyoro sub-region, including Kabalega International Airport, the Kabalega Industrial Park, more than 500 kilometres of tarmac roads and upgraded hospitals. She described the occasion as the President checking on “the work you started 40 years ago”, a reference to his decision after taking power in 1986 to send young Ugandans abroad to train as petroleum experts.

The projects have faced sustained opposition from environmental groups over the risk to biodiversity and water resources and the emissions from opening a new oil frontier, and thousands of households have been resettled along the route. The developers say those affected have been compensated and rehoused and that the projects meet international standards. Musenero said the Pearl Sweet name was also a pledge to manage the resource with care for the environment.

The naming is among the final steps before Uganda becomes a commercial oil exporter, almost two decades after commercial reserves were confirmed in the Albertine Graben.

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Ride-hailing company Uber has announced that it will wind down its operations in Uganda, bringing its nearly decade-long presence in the country to an end.

In an email sent to customers on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, Uber said it had made the decision to leave Uganda following a review of its business operations.

“After a thorough review of our business, we have made the tough decision to wind down our operations in Uganda, effective 2 September 2026,” the company said.

Uber first launched its services in Kampala in 2016, connecting customers with independent transportation providers.

The company described its time in Uganda as “an absolute privilege,” thanking customers for allowing it to be part of their daily lives.

The exit means Uber services will no longer be available to customers in Uganda from September 2.

Uber’s departure marks the end of a significant chapter in Uganda’s ride-hailing industry, where the company became one of the most recognisable platforms for on-demand transportation, particularly in Kampala.

The company’s entry in 2016 helped popularise app-based ride-hailing in Uganda, allowing users to request rides, track drivers and make payments through a digital platform.

However, the announcement has left customers and drivers facing questions about the immediate implications of the shutdown, particularly for people who relied on the platform for transportation or income.

Uber has not, in the portion of the announcement available, disclosed the specific reasons behind its decision to exit Uganda.

The company’s message characterised the decision as a difficult one following a “thorough review” of its business.

The development comes as Uganda’s digital transportation sector continues to evolve, with ride-hailing platforms competing for customers and drivers in an increasingly technology-driven mobility market.

KYANKWANZI, Uganda —The Minister for the Presidency and Member of Parliament for Budiope West Constituency, Hon. Babirye Milly Babalanda, has informed Ugandans that H.E. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni is committed to serve Ugandans beyond 2031.

She made the pronouncement yesterday, Tuesday 01st September 2026, at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi while addressing District Political and Technical Leaders from Ankole, Kasese, Bunyoro, Tooro & Kigezi sub-regions during a retreat to align local government action with the new Manifesto and the National Development Plan IV (NDP IV).

Minister Babalanda said what remains is the most important part of the journey: finishing the socio-economic transformation of every Ugandan household and eliminating corruption.

“The NRM Government has moved Uganda from scarcity to surplus. We now produce enough food, we have tarmac roads connecting the country, electricity coverage has expanded, and security is guaranteed. But the President’s ultimate target is clear: moving all 39% of Ugandans still in subsistence into the money economy using wealth creation Programs like PDM, Emyooga, Operation Wealth Creation, Emyooga etc as direct weapons against poverty. The President also has to finish the war on corruption. Therefore, he is here 2031 and beyond to finish the unfinished business,” she said.

In her keynote address, Minister Babalanda expressed profound appreciation to H.E. President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for his leadership and stewardship that have enabled the NRM Government to sustain implementation of its programmes and register significant progress.

“A manifesto is not merely a political document. It is a commitment to the people. Its success will ultimately be measured by whether the lives of Ugandans improve,” the Minister stated.

She explained that the retreat was convened to shift focus from activities and expenditure to measurable results that change the lives of Ugandans, as the country begins implementation of the 2026-2031 Manifesto.

She emphasized that the real test of the 2026-2031 Manifesto will be at the district, city, municipal, community and household levels – seen in better schools and health facilities, increased agricultural productivity, improved roads, water and sanitation, expanded opportunities for youth and women, and more efficient public services.

She told leaders that districts are the critical link between Government policy and service delivery.

She directed that all district development plans, budgets, work plans and performance targets must be aligned to the priorities of NDP IV and the Manifesto.

She outlined the implementation chain that must be followed: Manifesto → Plans → Budgets → Implementation → Monitoring → Results.
“The key question should be, ‘What has changed in the lives of our people?’ That is the standard by which we must measure our performance,” she said.

The Minister called for strong cooperation between political and technical leaders, urging RDCs, District Chairpersons, Mayors, NRM leaders, CAOs and Town Clerks to work as one team with mutual respect and shared accountability.

“Let us avoid unnecessary rivalry and conflict. Leadership must be judged by results, not by position,” she warned.

Minister Babalanda was firm: “Every shilling of public money is a public trust.”

She directed districts to strengthen financial management, procurement, project supervision and internal controls, ensuring citizens can see what has been committed, what has been delivered, and what remains to be done.She introduced a guiding principle for monitoring: “Monitor early, identify problems early and act early,” noting that monitoring must be used as a management tool, not just for reporting.

The Minister placed wealth creation and increased household incomes at the centre of the Manifesto, tasking every district to identify its comparative advantage.

“Every district should ask: What can we produce? What can we add value to? Which markets can we access? What enterprises can create jobs? How can we increase household incomes?” she said.

She highlighted opportunities in agricultural commercialisation, value addition, industrialisation, tourism, trade, innovation and the digital economy. She demanded improvements in education learning outcomes and retention, functionality of health facilities with health workers and medicines, and support for vulnerable groups.

She added that youth and women empowerment must be measured by enterprises created and incomes increased, not just the number of beneficiaries.

She also urged leaders to protect wetlands, forests and water sources and to embrace digital transformation to improve revenue, transparency and service delivery.

Minister Babalanda challenged leaders to leave NALI with a practical action agenda, not just a report.”By the end of this retreat, every participant should return to their district with clarity, commitment and a practical action agenda… with priority commitments, required actions, resources, responsible officers, expected results and measurable indicators,” she said.

She concluded with a strong call to action: “The 2026-2031 Manifesto is not merely a document to be implemented; it is a national commitment to be delivered. Our task is not simply to promise — our task is to deliver. Let us move from commitments → to action → to results → to lasting transformation.”

The Minister urged leaders to lead with integrity, patriotism, discipline and accountability, reminding them that public office is a trust and Ugandans expect tangible improvements in their quality of life.

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Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs could still face charges in connection with late rapper Tupac Shakur’s murder if prosecutors uncover new evidence, according to Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson.

Wolfson made the comments Tuesday, just a day after a Las Vegas jury found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of first-degree murder for his role in the 1996 killing.

The prosecutor stressed that authorities currently do not have enough evidence to charge anyone else in the case.

At this point, we do not believe we have sufficient evidence to charge anyone else with the death of Tupac Shakur. But, like any other case, if we come into more information, more evidence, we can always consider filing additional charges.

Diddy’s name came up during Keffe D’s trial because Davis previously claimed that the music mogul offered $1 million to have Tupac and former CEO of Death Row Records Suge Knight killed.

Davis said Diddy wanted to “get rid of those dudes” and claimed he had several conversations with him about the alleged plan. Those claims formed part of the wider evidence and allegations surrounding the case, but Diddy has denied involvement.

A source close to Combs previously told TMZ that Diddy had nothing to do with Tupac’s murder.

Keffe D Convicted After Nearly 30 Years

Prosecutors argued that Davis organized a group of Crips gang members to retaliate after Tupac and others attacked his nephew, Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, at the MGM Grand earlier that night.

The jury found Davis guilty of murder with the use of a deadly weapon and intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang. He faces a possible life sentence, with sentencing scheduled for October 13.

Davis did not pull the trigger, but prosecutors argued that he organized the attack and supplied the weapon. He has said he plans to appeal the conviction.

For now, Wolfson’s comments leave Diddy outside the case as a charged defendant. That could change only if investigators obtain enough new evidence to support additional charges.