A Ugandan tribal king has returned home to a hero's welcome, seven years after dozens of people were killed during a police raid on his palace.

Jubilant crowds lined the streets of Kasese for the arrival of the Rwenzururu King, Charles Wesley Mumbere.

In 2016 he was accused of commanding a militia from his palace with the aim of breaking away to create an independent state.

The Ugandan government said just over 100 people were killed during the police operation but rights groups said many more died.

King Mumbere and dozens of others faced several charges including treason, murder and terrorism but prosecutors dropped the case after they applied for amnesty.

The Rwenzururu kingdom of ethnic Bakonzo people has a history of separatist leanings and long-simmering tensions with the Ugandan government.