The Royal Sites

Royal Regalia

The chiefly regalia includes

• The center piece of the regalia is a royal stool which is often covered with bark cloth, lion and leopard skin. Picture?
• There are also 9 ancient royal drums from the past kings. Picture?
• We also have arrows and Bronze Age spears made of copper, zinc, bronze, iron and brass. Picture?
• Precious articles also decorate the King’s crowns such as cowries’ shells, feathers from the royal bird called etuku. Picture?

This crown was brought from Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom by Prince Kaboyo who started Tooro Kingdom in 1822.

Etuku birds Picture? inhabit the Semuliki River that goes through Butuku near the Uganda-Congo border where the current Queen Mother was born.

• The king’s wear is called Busutu. Picture?
• There are also iron forks, wooden spoons, chairs, beads, axes and knives. Picture?
• Then there is also the royal shield. Picture?

The Royal Palaces

There are over 7 royal palaces in Toro.: –

Ngezi in Nyantungo Sub County, Kyenjojo district

At Ngezi, the late King of Tooro, Patrick Olimi Kaboyo, King Oyo’s father, was nurtured there in the 1950s by his auntie, Ruth Komutale, the then Batebe (Princess Royal) of Tooro.  The palace was demolished and the land where the palace stood was sold off.

Rwengoma in Fort Portal Tourism City

This was constructed in 1930 but since then it has never been renovated. The palace has no windows, the ceiling is falling off and the roof leaks. A section of the palace has cracks.

The former Kings of Tooro, George Edward Kamurasi Rukidi and Kaboyo lived there before they were installed as Kings. Victoria Kahinju and Best Kemigisa, the wives of Kings David Kasagama Kyebambe and Patrick Kaboyo respectively were also taught the cultural values at the palace.

Kabahango in Buheesi Sub County

It is located on top of a hill, with a view of some parts of Kabarole including Fort Portal town. In the past, Kings used to sit in the compound and view their territory.

The Karuziika at Harukooto Hill in Fort Portal Municipality,

This is the only shining palace after being rennovated a decade ago with funding from the late Libyan leader, Col Muammar Gadaffi. The palace had been destroyed during the occupation by the military after the 1967 abolition of kingdoms.

The palace sits at the top of Kabarole hill that overlooks Fort Portal City and the suburbs. It is the most visited places in Tooro. The Palace is open for public visits Monday to Friday from 10 am to 5pm except during royal ceremonies. It can be accessed by vehicle and there is free parking. On foot, it will take you 10 to 15-minute walk from the Fort Portal- Kasese Highway.

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In Rutooro, the Palace is called Ekikaali. 

The Royal Tombs

Approximately 5 kilometres from the Palace is a village called Karambi that overlooks the rolling hills of Tooro. This is where some of the royal tombs are located. In Rutooro, it is called Egasani.

Here you will find the resting place of 3 of Tooro’s famous Kings and some members of the royal family. If you find the caretaker, he will let you into some of the mausoleums where you will find personal effects of the kings such as royal drums and spears. To a tourist and cultural enthusiast, the royal tombs are a place for a peaceful excursion.

They include Karambi Royal Tombs located along the Fort Portal- Kasese road. A section of the royal burial grounds has been turned into a grazing place for cows and goats.

Tooro Kings David Kasagama Kyebambe, George Edward Rukidi III and Patrick Olimi Kaboyo are buried in Karambi. Other princes and princesses, including King Oyo’s young sister Cecilia Komukyeya, are interred in the same place.

The Administrative Block

Commonly known as Muchwa, it is the kingdom administration block and parliament building.

It was constructed in the 1960s.

It is also the the official administrative seat of the Tooro government. It currently houses the kingdom parliament chambers and offices of the cabinet ministers.

Crater Lakes

Tooro is endowed with a lot of crater lakes. In Rutooro, they are called ebiijongo. Tooro has the most crater lakes in the world. Each Crater Lake is surrounded by very tall and beautiful hills. These hills were formed in such a way that when you are on top of any of them, the view is 180 degrees. There is a traditional believe that the underworld, which is the equivalent of heaven in the traditional religion, is found under the crater lakes. Life after death continues in the underworld where the gods live. Some visionary entrepreneurs have put up very beautiful tourist lodges and hotels in the hills of these craters. Here is one of the beautiful crater lakes in Tooro called Kigere near Fort Portal.

Table 4: List of Crater lakes in Toro

ZONE	CRATE LAKE
Saka Zone	Lake Saka
	Lake Hakigere (Kigere)
	Kigere Kya Nyinamwiru (Foot of Nyinamwiru)
	Lake kanyangeye (Kasindikwa)
	Lake Wabikere (Kaikara)
	Sunken Crater
	Lake Kilibwato
	Hamugoma (Kyaninga), Bwabya and Bukoni
Rutete – Kasenda Zome	Lake Nyabikere
	Lake Nyamirima and Nyinabulitwa
	Lake Nkuruba
	Lakes Nyinambuga, Kifilukwa and Lyantonde
	Lake Mwamba
	Lakes Mbaju, Ndikya, Rwenjubu, Rugembe
	Lakes Kasenda, marusi, nzigamire and Kanyabutetere
	Lakes Rwankwenzi and Rwandakara
Bunyangabu zone	Lake Njarayabana
	Lake Mubiro
	Lake Nyamiteza
	Lake Mwengenya
	Lake Ntanda
	Lake Nyamugoro
	Lake Nyamugasani
	Lake Kanyanswiga
	Lake Marahi / Kyanga
	Lakes Ntambi, Kaina and Kanyamukale
	Lake Kitera
	Lake Nyairiya
	Lake Kyakatabazi
Kasese – Busongora Zone	Lake Nyamununka
	Lake Bunyampaka
	Lake Katwe
	Lake Munyanyange
	Lake Kitagata
	Lake Rwenjura (Rwenzori)
	Lake Bujuku