King’s Baton Relay begins tour across the country ahead of Glasgow 2026

The Glasgow 2026 King’s Baton Relay will be received at State House on Monday following the launch of its journey across the country at the Commonwealth Games Association of Uganda (CGA) offices on Thursday.

After Thursday’s launch attended by the British Deputy High Commissioner Tiffany Kirlew, CGF Vice President Moses Mwase, IOC member William Blick, NCS Assistant General Secretary Sarah Chelangat, and several heads of national federations, the baton will be welcomed by athletes in Kapchorwa on Saturday before the Uganda Aquatics welcomes it at their national championship at Kampala Parents on Sunday.

After the State House visit, the Uganda Rugby Union will host it during a Lake Victoria clean-up spearheaded by them before it continues its journey across the country.

Unlike past relays, this year each of the 74 Commonwealth nations and territories received their own baton, engineered in Glasgow from sustainably sourced Scottish ash, allowing each country to decorate them in their own style. The theme for the King's Baton Relay is “Dedication.”

Uganda’s baton is decorated to reflect culture and creativity and will be used to promote community engagement, celebrate culture, and to raise environmental awareness.

Tiffany said it was a privilege to join the relay in celebrating Uganda’s role in the Commonwealth and the journey towards the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. She noted that the Commonwealth offers opportunities for trade between member states and where shared values for democracy, inclusion, and sustainability guide our collective features.

“The Commonwealth Games is often called the friendly games and one of the world’s largest multi-sport events, bringing together over 65,000 athletes and officials from across the Commonwealth, and their value goes much further beyond medals,” she said.

“The Birmingham 2022 games featured the largest integrated para sport program in history, reinforcing the Commonwealth commitment to inclusion and equality. And the upcoming Glasgow games are being designed to the new economic model, which allows small nations to co-host or participate more affordably, making the games more accessible and more sustainable and opening doors for countries to play a greater role not only in sport but also in shaping the future of the Commonwealth,” she stated.

She praised Ugandan leadership in sport as a powerful example of its potential and commended Beatrice Ayikoru, Patrick Ogwel, Ambrose Tashobya, and state sports minister Peter Ogwang for their stewardship of implementing the national sports act and for really driving forward the infrastructure and athletes’ development.

“As we look forward to 2026, let us carry forward that spirit of unity, ambition, and partnerships that defines the Commonwealth. And let us invest in our youth to celebrate our shared values and build a future where every Ugandan in the classroom or business has an opportunity to thrive.”

Mwase noted that Uganda has had a long history of participating in the Commonwealth Games, and they were excited to start preparations for Glasgow 2026.

“We need to continue seeing sport playing its role of uniting the communities, which is what sport does. The baton is very crucial, and from a symbolic perspective, it contributes to the unity that we need to build. It also promotes the awareness that is very crucial for us in sport,” he stated.

Blick noted that Uganda had gained more success from the Commonwealth Games than any other international event, saying that the event has always given us an opportunity to perform at the highest level and show our brilliance as a country.

Chelangat, who represented the NCS, said it was a great honour to receive the King’s Baton Relay in Uganda, noting that the event symbolizes peace, collaboration, and shared values among nations, aligning perfectly with the Olympic and Commonwealth spirit.

“We recognise our athletes who have previously represented Uganda in the Commonwealth Games for hoisting the Ugandan flag high. They have not only participated but also earned Uganda great strides, won medals, and won collaborations.

“NCS appreciates and recognizes the good working relationships and collaboration with the Uganda Olympic Committee, especially in preparing and presenting teams for the Olympic and Commonwealth Games and other international games,” Chelangat stated.

“Today, as we prepare for the Commonwealth Games, I want to underscore the government’s commitment, especially the NCS, in preparing the teams for the upcoming games in Glasgow.

Together let us uphold the spirit of unity, sportsmanship, and fair play as we make our nation shine brighter on the international stage. And lets the spirit of sportsmanship guide us,"