Tooro Kingdom Palace : Karuzika Royal Palace, Tooro Palace Fort Portal
When someone visits Fort Portal, one of the places that they often would like to stop by is the Karuzika Royal Palace also known as the Tooro Kingdom Palace which is the royal palace for the King of Tooro Kingdom. A peaceful stroll through the palace gardens brings you into the rich history that surrounds the Tooro Kingdom and the “Batooro” who are the natives of Tooro.
Karuzika Royal Palace is located in Fort Portal, Kabarole district. The district is one of Uganda’s popular districts situated in western Uganda and is known for its proximity to the Rwenzori Mountains and Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Fort Portal is a tourism city making it one of the best places to visit while in Uganda, it’s a slow city with good weather, beautiful crater lakes, rolling lush hills and uninterrupted landscape views.
A recent photo of Fort Portal city (main town area)
The formation of Tooro (brief history of Tooro Kingdom)
Tooro hardly existed before the coming of Kaboyo Olimi I, Kaboyo was the founder and first king of Tooro Kingdom and he assumed power around 1830. According to history, the name “Tooro” is believed by some to have been given by a Muchwezi King Ndahura. It is said that when King Ndahura was passing through the area called Tooro near Kazingo in western Uganda, he was impressed by the friendliness of the people who lived in that area that he gave it the name “Tooro” meaning “festival”.
Aside from this story, another explanation of the origin of the name “Tooro” is that when Kaboyo (first king of Tooro Kingdom) defeated his father, his father said that Kaboyo “natorwa”. This translated to Kaboyo was unserious and only playing around, from this word “torwa” came the name “Tooro”. It is then believed that Kaboyo may have made a decision to adopt the name “Tooro” for his kingdom because the people who came to persuade Kaboyo to establish an independent kingdom mostly came from around Kazingo.
Kaboyo was the first Omukama (king) of Tooro and he was the oldest son of the Omukama(king) of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom who was called Rukirabasaija Agutamba Nyamutukura Kyebabe III. Bunyoro-Kitara was a powerful and mighty Bantu kingdom situated in western Uganda. Kaboyo rebelled against his father in the 1820s and broke away from Bunyoro with the help of his loyal supporters, with their support he went on to establish his own kingdom. 1830 is the year that is accepted by most people as the foundation of Tooro Kingdom though it is recognized that this is only an approximate date.
Tooro Palace Tour and what to expect when you visit the Tooro Kingdom Palace
The Tooro Palace tour will offer you an opportunity to visit this historical and cultural site as your guide takes you through the history of Tooro Kingdom. You get an opportunity to learn about the life of the people of Tooro also known as “Abatooro” or “Batooro”, the Batooro are a bantu ethnic group that are natives to the Tooro Kingdom.
Tooro Kingdom Palace
The palace tour begins with a briefing from your guide who lays out the history of Tooro Kingdom and its kings. You will get the history of the kings from the first King Rukirabasaija Kaboyo Omuhundwa Kasusunkwanzi Olimi I to the current King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.
The current king is the son of Omukama Patrick David Matthew Kaboyo Rwamuhokya Olimi III and Omugo Best Kemigisa. King Oyo is the 13th king of Tooro Kingdom and he ascended to the throne in 1995 at only three years of age.
The tour then continues;
After briefing the tour then continues as you walk through the palace gardens alongside your guide. The Tooro Kingdom Palace is also known as Karuzika Palace and is set on a hill overlooking Tooro and Fort Portal city.
From the main Tooro palace gate, you walk up the steps and through the king’s compound which is a well-maintained green compound with beautiful large trees, some old and others look like they were just planted a few years ago.
The palace compound with a view of Tooro
The trees in the King’s compound near the second gate each have a significant reason as to why they are there, the guide will take you through the reasons as to why the trees are there and what they mean to the people of Tooro. One of the trees here is called the “Mutooma” in “rutooro” (the local dialect for “Batooro”. In the past each home in Tooro had to have a “mutooma” tree, once one settled in an area, they planted it to signify that this was their base and home.
The Royal Cows
The Royal cows at the palace
On the tour, you will come across the Royal cows grazing in the palace gardens. The Royal cows belong to the king and the royal term for the cows is called “Enkorogi”, the person who takes care of the cows is called “Omukorogi” and the official process of milking them is called “kukoroga”. If you are interested in witnessing the official milking ceremony of the royal cows, you can do so by attending the coronation day that happens annually in September at Karuzika Palace.
The Royal Store
The tour continues to the grass thatched royal store where they keep the royal drums, royal spears, and the “Amakondere” which are the royal trumpets.
The main instruments of power for the Tooro Kingdom are stored here. The royal store is surrounded by a reed fence and the reeds are a significant part of history as in the past days the reeds were the immediate weapons of defence before the guns and arrows came in. The people of Tooro would harvest these reeds, cut two sharp ends one at the top and another at the bottom of the reed to make it easy for someone to pierce their enemy from a distance.
Tooro Palace gardens
Karuzika Palace / Tooro Kingdom Palace
The tour will then continue to the Karuzika Palace which will be the main highlight of your visit. The palace is a large white palace with multiple windows, a large wooden door that serves as the main entrance to the palace, a Tooro Kingdom coat of arms and a flag stand.
The Tooro Kingdom Palace
Once you are at the palace, you have a scenic panoramic view of Kabarole which translates as “let them see” and the palace is said to be the hill where Kaboyo stood and watched the retreating Bunyoro forces. The palace is set on a hill hence the scenic view of Fort Portal city and Kabarole at large.
View from the palace
Your guide will take you through the palace history and its construction and from here you will have views of the Tooro Kingdom Parliament also known as “Orukurato” located in Muchwa, you will have a view of St. Johns Cathedral Kabarole which is the second oldest Anglican church in Uganda after Namirembe Cathedral and you will also have other views of buildings in Fort Portal city that have been built over the years.
Photo taken in front of the Tooro King’s Palace
The Cultural Courts
Just in front of the Karuzika Palace are the grass thatched cultural courts, this is where the king meets his people to handle any cases in the kingdom on the day of coronation. However, with modern times, most of the people are said to usually opt for the modern court system for their grievances instead of having to wait for the coronation ceremony which happens only once a year.
The cultural courts at the palace
The Cultural Kitchen
The cultural kitchen is found at the King’s palace and it is a traditional kitchen made of banana fibre and enclosed with a reed fence. This is the official kitchen for the king where his meat is roasted. In Tooro, the main cultural food is called “Omukaru” which translates as smoked meat, the meat is slowly roasted on fire and can be eaten as a smoked delicacy or mixed with “Obutuzi” which means mushrooms to make a sauce. This sauce is usually eaten with “Akaro” meaning millet bread, this combination makes for a traditional Tooro meal.
The cultural kitchen is used on the coronation ceremony, the royal term for the cultural kitchen is “ekyokyo”, and the people who roast the King’s meat are called “Aboki” while the process of roasting the meat is called “kyokya”.
You are allowed to take photos throughout the palace tour and at the entrance of the palace however for privacy and safety reasons since the King lives at the palace, one is not allowed to enter inside the building unless allowed by the kingdom or if visiting on official reasons.
After spending time at the palace, you the head back down to the main gate where you end your tour of the Tooro King’s Palace.
Interested in visiting the Tooro Kingdom palace? Send us an email here – info@56africatours.com
