Queen Mother Best Kemigisa has revived plans for the proposed King Oyo International Stadium, saying the facility should provide young Ugandans with opportunities to develop sporting talent and create careers in sport.
In a statement following the burial of King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, Kemigisa said the royal family wanted to see the stadium project completed, turning one of the late monarch’s initiatives into a lasting sporting legacy for Tooro and Uganda.
The proposed stadium is among several projects the Queen Mother and Princess Ruth Nsemere Komuntale intend to pursue through the planned King Oyo Memorial Foundation.
“ The Stadium should help young Ugandans discover and develop sporting talent, give schools and communities a place to compete, host major events, and create careers, discipline, health and opportunity,” Kemigisa said.
Oyo had donated approximately 50 acres of land to the government during his lifetime for the development of the stadium, according to the Queen Mother.
The family now wants the project completed, with the proposed facility envisaged as a venue for sporting competitions, school events and major gatherings.
The stadium would also provide a platform for young athletes in Tooro and surrounding areas to access sporting opportunities, while supporting the development of sport at community level.
Kemigisa said the family’s broader vision was to translate Oyo’s interests into practical projects that would benefit communities rather than limit his legacy to commemorative monuments.
“These projects are not simply monuments bearing King Oyo’s name. They are his legacy put to work for the people,” she said.
Oyo died aged 34 while receiving treatment for cancer in the United States on August 27, 2026. He was buried at the Karambi Royal Tombs on September 12, ending a 31-year reign that began when he was three years old.
The stadium proposal forms part of a wider legacy programme that includes a proposed King Oyo Research and Teaching Hospital, a Tooro museum and the development of the late King’s farm at Bugaaki into an agricultural education and innovation centre.
Kemigisa said the family remained committed to pursuing the projects in honour of Oyo and called on those who supported the late King to focus on building and serving communities.
As plans for the King Oyo International Stadium return to the spotlight, its completion would provide a lasting sporting facility in Tooro, with the potential to serve athletes, schools and communities across Uganda.
