The carriage ride which set off shortly after the wedding at the Christ Cathedral in Jinja, was met by a mammoth crowd that followed it along Cathedral Road down to Jinja-Tororo road amid chats, songs and dancing.
Drawn not by horses but a Toyota Land Cruiser, the carriage had on board the groom; the Kyabazinga of Busoga Wilberforce Nadiope Gabula IV, his bride Queen Jovia Mutesi and three other people up front.
Built in the shape of a boat, the carriage was elegantly decked in Kingdom colours: the interior — a warm blend of copper brown and royal blue, while the exterior had a touch of beige and gold with blue brush laces to accentuate the roof.
According to the Busoga Kingdom Prime Minister, Joseph Muvawala, the carriage was shaped like a boat “to represent Lake Victoria, River Nile and Lake Kyoga that flow around of Busoga.”
The coach itself was designed originally by a local engineer, a one Madanda, and built by the vehicle-making state enterprise, Kiira Motors.
Initially, the carriage was supposed to take the king and the queen for an extended ride on the main streets of Jinja for the subjects to have a glimpse of the monarchs.
But owing to the sheer number of people on the streets, the subsequent traffic gridlock and the fact that the wedding celebrations were several hours behind schedule, the ride was cut short and the newlyweds drove back to the Igenge palace to prepare for the evening reception.