Uganda has announced it will withdraw from the Invictus Games, the country’s military chief General Muhoozi Kainerugaba said in a post on X, saying the move was “in order not to be construed as being opposed to His Majesty King Charles III.” The decision affects Uganda’s planned participation in the Birmingham games and uses the keyword uganda invictus games.
General Kainerugaba, who is the head of the Uganda People’s Defence Force, made the declaration on X, writing: “We shall not participate in anything that does not have His Majesty’s approval,” a line quoted by the BBC and other outlets.
Ugandan government spokesman Alan Kasujja told the BBC that “General Kainerugaba decides whether or not the UPDF participates in the Invictus Games. What you saw is his stated position. If it changes, he will let the world know.” The BBC also noted Uganda had only announced its participation two months earlier when Prince Harry visited to promote the event.
The Invictus Games organisers said they had not received any official notification of a withdrawal and were seeking clarification from contacts in Uganda, according to the BBC and ABC News.
General Kainerugaba’s post referenced recent statements from the royal household that described Prince Harry and Meghan as non-working royals, language the BBC and The Guardian say preceded his announcement. Those outlets report the general criticised what he called “Harry-Meghan nonsense” in other posts on his account.
Uganda’s withdrawal comes after the country was named among the nations joining the Birmingham Invictus Games; the BBC reported Uganda had become the 26th country to commit when its participation was announced in July.
Observers and media outlets have framed the move as politically charged because it ties a national decision about a veterans’ sporting event to a dispute within the British royal family. The Invictus Games celebrates rehabilitation and resilience among wounded service personnel; the organisers told the BBC they support projects for wounded veterans but had received no formal notice from Uganda.
This article links related coverage of the royal clarification and military leadership developments on this site for context: King Charles clarifies Prince Harry and Meghan won’t resume royal duties and King Charles clarifies Harry and Meghan remain non-working royals.
Sources
- BBC — reported General Muhoozi Kainerugaba’s X post, quoted his wording and recorded Alan Kasujja’s confirmation that the general decides UPDF participation.
- The Guardian — published the general’s quoted post and noted his reference to “Harry-Meghan nonsense.”
- ABC News — reported the Invictus organisers had not received official notification of a withdrawal and were seeking clarification.
