Shakira Shakiraa has responded to social media users who mocked her after she revealed that she was friends with the late King of Tooro, Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.Following the King’s passing, Shakira joined many Ugandans in mourning and shared that she had known the late monarch personally. She revealed that the two were gym buddies and that she also had a friendship with the Queen Mother, Best Kemigisa.However, her remarks attracted criticism from netizens, with some accusing her of exaggerating the relationship and trying to “tie” herself to the late King for attention and relevance.Addressing the criticism, Shakira explained that her friendship with King Oyo developed naturally after they met at the gym. She said she was using one of the machines when it malfunctioned, prompting the King to step in and help her.People just made fun of the whole process but he (King Oyo) was my friend. I already told you he was my gym buddy because I found him in gym and how we met was that I was on one of the machines and it refused to work and he came he helped me out, from there we started hellos and then it matured into a friendship.Shakira clarified that their friendship never went beyond their interactions at the gym and insisted that she had no intention of using her connection to the late King to gain publicity.Tooro subjects told to suspend farming, intimacy and loud music during King Oyo’s nine-day mourningShe said she is not concerned about being in the spotlight and remains focused on her businesses and music career.I am the kind of person that doesn’t care whether I’m trending or not, whether my music is played or not… I focus on my businesses that’s all but when they asked me about him, I shared my experience because that stood out in my friendship with him.Her comments come as the Tooro Kingdom continues its mourning period following the passing of King Oyo, who died in the United States on August 27, 2026, aged 34.The post Shakira Shakiraa responds to mockery over friendship with the late King Oyo appeared first on MBU.