Henry Wako Muloki ruled over Busoga, one of Uganda's five kingdoms. People in the Ugandan town of Jinja were in a sombre mood ahead of the late king's state funeral.

Locals described the king as a man who talked to young and old, and the most unifying factor in the region. Busoga region has generally supported Museveni in recent elections, BBC correspondents say.

In the 1980s, the king helped mobilize his people to block fighters loyal to rebel priestess Alice Lakwena from marching on the capital, Kampala. On Sunday, a five-hour requiem service was held for the deceased king in Jinja, the New Vision newspaper reported.

Biography

Muloki has been the oldest living King in Uganda. He has been sick for a number of years. He was in Italy twice, India and a number of Uganda hospitals. According to the Monitor newspaper, Martin Musumba, who served as Muloki’s prime minister for over six years, said it was the first recorded death in office of a sitting Kyabazinga (king). Musumba said the Kingdom’s laws require that the sitting prime minister, Wilson Muwereza and the head of the 11 royal chiefs who head clan lines will run the kingdom and manage the process of electing a new Kyabazinga within a period of 60 to 90 days.

He lost his kingdom in 1961 to Sir Wilberforce Nadiope who was helped to gain the rein by Uganda’s then Prime Minister Milton Obote. However in 1966, Obote disbanded traditional institutions in the country. He imprisoned many kings and most royal families fled to exile.

Education and work

The late Muloki attended King’s College Budo from where he joined Makerere University where he obtained a degree in agriculture in 1946. He worked in the civil service for a long time. He was at the Civil Aviation Authority up to 1965. He was also the Uganda manager of the East African Airways up to 1968. In 1970, he went to the UK and worked there until 1974 when he returned to head the Soroti Flying School. He was also the board chairman of the Uganda Airlines from 1980 to 1985.

Muloki was friendly to all other kings and chiefs. He was the late King Mutesa’s best man at his wedding and vice versa. He was apolitical and well liked by politicians especially president Museveni who paid most of his medical bills.