On this day in 1994, Omukama Rukirabashaija Agutamba Solomon Gafabusa Iguru I was crowned at the Karuziika Royal Palace in Hoima marking the official restoration of the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom.
This ended a 27-year period during which traditional kingdoms had been abolished by the state.
The ceremony was the rebirth of one of East Africa's oldest kingdoms and the return of a cultural institution that had been silenced since 1967, when the government of Milton Obote abolished Uganda's traditional kingdoms.
Following the restoration of cultural institutions under the NRM government in 1993, the stage was set for the return of the Babiito dynasty to its ancestral throne.
At the heart of the coronation was the sacred Empango ritual, a centuries-old tradition that symbolises the assumption of kingship.
Before thousands of subjects and invited guests, Omukama Iguru I struck the royal drum, officially becoming the 27th Omukama of the Babiito Dynasty.
Thousands of Banyoro travelled from across Hoima, Masindi, Kibaale and neighbouring areas to witness the historic occasion.
Traditional Runyege and Entogoro dancers filled the palace grounds, while clan leaders renewed their allegiance to the throne through ancient customs and the presentation of symbolic gifts.
The event also attracted government officials, religious leaders and representatives from other cultural institutions across Uganda. Their presence underscored the significance of the kingdom's restoration within Uganda's new constitutional framework, which recognised traditional leaders as custodians of culture and heritage.
Since that landmark day, June 11 has been commemorated annually as Empango Day across the Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom.
