Empango (Tooro Kingdom)
Empango is the Tooro Kingdom's coronation anniversary festival, held to mark the enthronement of the Omukama of Tooro.
Where it happens
📍 Fort Portal · Uganda
A cultural festival celebrating the coronation anniversary of the Omukama (King) of Toro. The celebration includes traditional dances, royal drums, storytelling, and feasting. The main ceremony takes place at the Karuzika Royal Palace in Fort Portal.
About Empango (Tooro Kingdom)
The term "Empango" refers to both the festival and the royal drums that are played during the event. This celebration takes place on September 12, a significant date that marks the enthronement of Omukama Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV in 1995, when he was just three years old. He was recognised by Guinness World Records as the world's youngest reigning monarch and serves as the cultural leader of more than two million people.
The festival focuses on the Omukama and the royal regalia. On the eve of Empango, members of the Basiita clan present the royal drums to the king, who strikes each one. They then lead a procession to the kingdom's anthill, known as Akaswa ka Tooro, to announce the official start of Empango.
The main day of the festival includes a thanksgiving service, the presentation of regalia, a royal court gathering, cultural performances, and a public address. In recent years, the kingdom has collaborated with the Talent Africa Group to create a broader cultural and music festival around this anniversary, branded as Ekyooto Ha Mpango. This celebration lasts several days in Fort Portal and features music concerts, a fashion gala, exhibitions, sports, and tourism excursions.
Empango is intimately connected to the Empaako praise-naming tradition shared by the Batooro and Banyoro peoples, as well as to the kingdom’s royal music and dance. It serves as a focal point for Batooro identity.
Origins & significance
The Tooro Kingdom separated from Bunyoro-Kitara in the early 19th century, specifically between 1822 and 1830, when Prince Kaboyo, the eldest son of Bunyoro Omukama Nyamutukura Kyebambe III, seceded and took the title Olimi I. The Milton Obote government abolished Uganda's kingdoms in 1967, but they were restored as cultural institutions in 1993.
Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV was born on April 16, 1992. His father, Omukama Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Olimi III, passed away on August 26, 1995, and Oyo was enthroned on September 12, 1995, at the age of three.
Since he was a minor at that time, the kingdom was governed by principal regents until he came of age in 2010. These regents included his mother, Queen Mother Best Kemigisa, Princess Elizabeth Bagaya, President Yoweri Museveni, and Prince James Mugenyi.
The Empango festival commemorates this coronation and symbolises the survival and continuity of the Tooro monarchy.
How it's celebrated
Royal processions, traditional dances, drumming ceremonies, feasting
Plan your visit
Fort Portal is located approximately 296 km (184 miles) west of Kampala, accessible via an all-tarmac highway. The Karuziika Palace on Kabarole Hill offers guided tours year-round, while public events during the Empango celebration attract thousands of visitors. However, the inner Kaswa rituals are exclusive to certain participants and do not permit women. Additionally, the surrounding Ekyooto Ha Mpango festival features both free public activities and ticketed music concerts.
Fort Portal serves as an excellent base for exploring the Rwenzori Mountains, trekking for chimpanzees in Kibale National Park, visiting the crater lakes, exploring the Amabere caves, and touring the Karambi royal tombs.
Please note that there is currently a period of mourning following the king's death in August 2026. It is advisable to check the kingdom's official channels before planning any visits around the anniversary.
Whose festival it is
The culture
Men traditionally wear the kanzu, which is a long white robe often accompanied by a jacket.
Women typically wear the suuka, a three-piece draped outfit that consists of a shoulder cloth, a knee-length dress, and a kitambi wrapped around the waist. Additionally, mushanana-style wraps are also common.
Barkcloth, known as lubugo, is made from the bark of the Ficus natalensis tree and is used for royal and ceremonial dress. During the Empango rituals, the king and clan leaders don barkcloth attire.
Royal music includes the Amakondere, an ensemble of side-blown trumpets accompanied by drums, used to entertain the Omukama.
This performance is often referred to as Okuguruka Amakondere. Central to these celebrations are the Empango royal drums, which are tied to the ancient Chwezi tradition.
During the festivities, the king strikes these drums nine times to mark the celebration and reaffirm his status.
A royal song known as Irambi accompanies the trumpet procession.
Orunyege-Ntogoro (Runyege), a courtship dance shared with the Banyoro in which young men tie ebinyege pod rattles to their legs and young women wear waist rings. The Amakondere royal dance is performed in the king's presence during Empango.",
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