Oyo Nyimba Babamba Oguru Kulidi IV, a traditional Ugandan ruler named as the world’s youngest monarch has died aged 34, his prime minster announced.

He became king of Tooro in western Uganda at just three years old in 1995 after the death of his father.

The Tooro kingdom did not disclose the cause of King Oyo’s death, but a Ugandan government minister was quoted in local media saying that he had been critically ill and was seeking treatment in the US.

Though Uganda is governed by an elected president and parliament, it has several traditional kingdoms which continue to have significant cultural influence despite not having political power.

Oyo, who Guinness World Records listed as the world’s youngest reigning monarch, ruled over more than two million people. He was the 13th monarch of a kingdom that was founded in the early 19th Century.

Announcing his death, Tooro’s Prime Minister Calvin Armstrong Rwomiire Akiiki called his passing on Thursday an “immeasurable loss” to the royal family and the people of Tooro.

“I call upon all the people of Tooro to remain united, calm and prayerful during this profoundly difficult time,” Akiiki said on Friday. “May His Majesty the King rest in eternal peace.”

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has lifted its restriction on Bolt operations at airports.

The reversal followed a directive from the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who intervened after passengers and social media users raised concerns about the disruption.

In a post on his X handle, Keyamo said, “Following my directive to FAAN to urgently address the issue of exorbitant taxi fare increases at our airports, the issue has been resolved as follows.”

FAAN announced the decision in a statement signed by its Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and made available to our correspondent on Thursday.

According to the statement, the resolution followed constructive engagements between FAAN and Bolt, resulting in an agreeable operational framework for the e-hailing company to operate at FAAN-managed airports.

“The Authority is therefore pleased to announce that, following constructive engagements, FAAN and Bolt have reached an agreeable operational framework and Bolt is cleared to commence its services at FAAN-managed airports immediately.”

The development came after concerns over the management of commercial and e-hailing vehicles at airports, with FAAN noting that it had been working for nearly a decade to address challenges associated with the operations of such vehicles.

The Authority said the challenges included passenger solicitation and touting, unregulated operations, random pick-ups, as well as safety, security and accountability concerns.

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Muhoozi Kainerugaba, son of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, has declared his intention to contest the country’s presidency in 2031.

Kainerugaba, 52, made the declaration in a series of posts on X, putting to rest speculation over whether he would eventually seek Uganda’s highest political office when his father leaves.

“I will stand for the highest office in the land in 2031. And we will win by the grace of Almighty God,” he said.

Kainerugaba, who is Uganda’s army chief and heads the Patriotic League of Uganda, a political pressure group, has for years been regarded as a possible successor to Museveni, who has ruled the East African country since 1986.

The army chief also predicted a landslide victory, saying he would secure 90 per cent of the vote with the support of his father.

“Mzee will be my campaign manager,” he said, referring to Museveni by the honorific commonly used for the president in Uganda.