Uganda has been formally admitted into the Invictus Games community, becoming the movement’s 26th member nation and the first East African country to join the global initiative that uses sport to support the recovery of wounded, injured, and sick service personnel.
The announcement was made on 7 July 2026 in London, during the 14th Invictus Games Foundation Conversation held at Chatham House under the theme “From Policy to Practice.” The event formed part of the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games Birmingham 2027, bringing together policymakers, veterans’ affairs ministers, and members of the wider Invictus community.
Invictus Games Foundation Patron, Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, personally welcomed Uganda into the fold, describing the moment as proof that the movement’s growth “has never been about numbers.”
“It’s about reaching those who need us most. Building partnerships that last. And ensuring that no one feels they’re making this journey alone.”
For Uganda, the admission caps nearly two years of quiet diplomatic and military groundwork. Uganda’s Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, Hon. Kiryowa Kiwanuka, who received the news on behalf of the country, described the development as a reflection of the nation’s commitment to supporting wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women who have sacrificed in service to the country.
He noted that Uganda’s wounded soldiers are individuals who deserve opportunities to rebuild their lives with dignity, purpose, and hope.
“Our wounded soldiers are our living heroes who deserve every opportunity to rebuild their lives with dignity, purpose, and hope.”
The minister credited President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s leadership and the Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, for championing Uganda’s entry into the Invictus community. He traced the journey back to the Invictus Games Foundation leadership visit to Kampala on 10 October 2025.
The visit resulted in a formal agreement between the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces and the Invictus Games Foundation to strengthen rehabilitation services for wounded soldiers. It also included an assessment of Uganda’s existing sport recovery facilities, including the Mubende Defence Forces Rehabilitation and Vocational Centre, where the Foundation had previously donated sports equipment to support recovering veterans.
“Uganda’s admission as the first East African nation to formally engage with the Foundation is both an honour and a responsibility.”
“We look forward to learning from other member nations while contributing our own experience to the global Invictus movement.”
Uganda will now prepare to send its first-ever team to compete at the Invictus Games Birmingham 2027, joining athletes from 25 other nations in a multi-sport event centred on the recovery journeys of wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women.
The minister confirmed Uganda’s participation, marking the country’s debut on the international Invictus stage.
The admission also positions Uganda as a potential entry point for the movement’s expansion across East Africa, with officials from both sides describing the partnership as the beginning, rather than the destination, of Uganda’s Invictus journey.
