Uganda Pulls Out of Invictus Games Two Months After Joining as Army Chief Cites Loyalty To King Charles

Uganda has pulled out of the Invictus Games just two months after joining, with the country's army chief saying he does not want Kampala's involvement to appear disloyal to King Charles III.

Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda's Chief of Defence Forces, announced on X on 9 September that the country would no longer take part in the international sporting movement, reversing a July commitment to compete at the 2027 Games in Birmingham.

Army Chief Cites Loyalty To King Charles

Kainerugaba said Uganda did not want its participation to appear opposed to King Charles III. He wrote that the country deeply revered the monarch and would not join anything without his approval.

He later criticised factions within Uganda's defence ministry that supported Prince Harry and Meghan. Kainerugaba said he had sped to stop that support and reaffirmed his loyalty to the King.

Government spokesman Alan Kasujja said Kainerugaba decides whether the UPDF takes part in the Games. He added that the general would announce any change in position.

Buckingham Palace has made no public statement asking Uganda to withdraw. There is also no evidence that King Charles opposed Uganda's participation.

Uganda Had Backed the Games in July

The decision reverses Uganda's July commitment to compete at the 2027 Games in Birmingham. Uganda had become the 26th Invictus nation and the first from East Africa.

Uganda formally joined the Invictus community on 7 July at Chatham House in London. Defence Minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka appeared alongside Prince Harry to mark the admission.

Kiwanuka called Uganda's entry a milestone for wounded and injured service personnel. He also credited Kainerugaba with championing the country's admission. Kiwanuka said the partnership would support Ugandan recovery through sport.

The official announcement said Uganda planned to compete in Birmingham in July 2027. It would have been the country's first Invictus Games appearance.

Prince Harry founded the Invictus Games in 2014 for wounded, injured and sick service personnel. Uganda became the second African nation to join the community.

Support for Wounded Soldiers Built Before Withdrawal

Uganda's involvement had started before its formal admission. The UPDF and the Invictus Games Foundation signed an October 2025 agreement to support wounded soldiers.

The Foundation later supplied adaptive sports equipment to a military rehabilitation centre in Mubende. Maj Gen Henry Masiko presided over the handover on 8 August.

The UPDF said the equipment would support athletes ahead of Birmingham 2027. The donation came one month after Uganda formally joined the Invictus community.

The UPDF reported in August that Kainerugaba met Invictus chief executive Rob Owen during a UK visit. It said he backed adaptive sport for injured soldiers and thanked Prince Harry for founding the movement.

The same report said Kainerugaba thanked Prince Harry for founding the Invictus movement. Those remarks came shortly before Uganda's withdrawal.

Palace Guidance Adds Royal Context

Kainerugaba's announcement followed fresh Buckingham Palace guidance on Harry and Meghan's status. King Charles authorised a letter to senior British officials on 7 September.

The letter reaffirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain non-working members of the Royal Family. It said their charitable activities are carried out privately, not as official royal duties.

The guidance did not mention Uganda or the Invictus Games. Kainerugaba also did not claim that Charles or Buckingham Palace had asked Uganda to leave.

The timing placed Uganda's decision alongside renewed scrutiny of Harry's position outside the working Royal Family. Kainerugaba framed the withdrawal as a matter of loyalty to the King.

Birmingham Debut Now Withdrawn

Uganda had expected to make its Invictus Games debut in Birmingham in 2027. Its July admission linked participation to support for injured personnel.

The plan has now been withdrawn after only two months. Kasujja's comments leave open the possibility of another change, but Uganda's current position is that it will not participate.