Uganda has removed the Uganda People's Defence Force from the list of participants for next year's Invictus Games in Birmingham, a change that leaves organisers to clarify the nation's place on the roster. The government announcement reverses a July decision in which Uganda became the 26th country to sign up for the wounded service personnel competition.
The withdrawal was announced by General Muhoozi Kainerugaba in a post on X. He wrote, "in order not to be construed as being opposed to His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom, whom we deeply revere, Uganda hereby withdraws from the Invictus Games," and added, "We shall not participate in anything that does not have His Majesty's approval."
A government spokesman confirmed that the general sets whether the UPDF takes part in international events and said that if his position changes he will notify the world. That leaves the decision effectively in the hands of the military chief despite the earlier sign-up.
The announcement followed circulation of a letter on behalf of the King that made clear Prince Harry and Meghan were now non-working royals. A newspaper report quoted the general expressing concerns about what it called the "Harry-Meghan nonsense," language that appears to have informed his rationale for withdrawing.
Invictus Games organisers said they had not received formal notice of a withdrawal and are seeking clarification from contacts in Uganda. Royal sources have emphasised that the King supports initiatives which aid wounded service personnel, drawing a contrast between the palace's public encouragement for such projects and the general's stated reluctance to participate where he believes the King has not given approval.
General Kainerugaba's public X feed includes other personal and critical posts, among them a message in which he described himself as "the most handsome, most daring and glorious Commander who ever lived," and complaints about fellow officers. That tone adds a combustible element to what is formally an operational decision about a sporting delegation.
For now the immediate practical consequence is uncertainty. Organisers must decide whether to treat the statement as a formal withdrawal, and if it stands the Invictus Games will proceed without a UPDF team. With months to go before the Birmingham event, finalising the competing nations' list will depend on whether Uganda confirms the decision or the general changes course and notifies organisers.
