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General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, chief of defence forces and son of President Yoweri Museveni, declared Uganda’s exit from the Invictus Games in a post on X that tied the decision directly to loyalty toward the British monarch. “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,” Kainerugaba wrote, adding that the nation would not participate in anything lacking the King’s approval. A government spokesman told reporters that the general holds authority over whether the Uganda People’s Defence Force takes part, confirming the post reflected the current position. Reports from The Independent and The Telegraph noted the announcement came hours after further details emerged about a letter from the King’s office clarifying the status of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
The withdrawal follows a letter circulated this week on the King’s behalf that described Prince Harry and Meghan as private citizens whose activities are not undertaken on behalf of the monarchy, according to accounts in Newsweek and the Daily Mail. Kainerugaba told The Times he moved to suppress support for what he termed “that Harry-Meghan nonsense” among factions inside the defence ministry. “I have factions in the Ministry of Defence that support that Harry-Meghan nonsense,” he was quoted as saying. “I had to quash it straight away. I support the monarch. Period.” Royal sources have separately indicated that the King encourages initiatives benefiting wounded service personnel, creating an apparent contrast with the general’s stated rationale.
Only in July 2026 Uganda had been formally welcomed as the 26th member of the Invictus community during a London event at Chatham House, an announcement covered by the Invictus Games Foundation and Pulse Uganda. Defence Minister Kiryowa Kiwanuka issued a statement at the time expressing gratitude to Prince Harry, the event’s patron, and outlining plans to build rehabilitation programmes for veterans of the country’s wars of liberation, peace support missions and counter-terrorism operations. Kiwanuka credited both Museveni and Kainerugaba with driving the partnership, which began with a foundation visit to Kampala in October 2025 and a subsequent agreement between the Uganda People’s Defence Force and the foundation to improve sports-based recovery services.
The Invictus Games Foundation has received no official communication about a withdrawal and continues to seek clarification from its Ugandan contacts, multiple outlets including LBC and the BBC reported. The organisation’s earlier statement on Uganda’s entry highlighted the transformative role of sport in resilience, recovery and reintegration for injured personnel. Organisers have described the addition of new nations as central to expanding access to such programmes worldwide, with Uganda positioned as the pioneer from East Africa.
Since Prince Harry founded the Invictus Games in 2014, the competition has grown from its inaugural edition in London to include adaptive sports events across several host cities, among them Orlando, Toronto and The Hague. A foundation assessment tied to Uganda’s admission noted that participating countries develop sustainable veteran support networks through international collaboration and shared best practices. The 2027 Games, set for Birmingham, were expected to feature the enlarged community before the latest development.
Kainerugaba has cultivated a reputation for provocative social media activity, with past posts ranging from personal declarations to commentary on international figures, as documented across reports from The Mirror and The Sun. His X activity on the day of the announcement also included unrelated messages about military colleagues and self-description, according to the coverage. The episode unfolds as discussions continue over the Sussexes’ positioning following their return to the United Kingdom earlier this summer.
