Uganda PM Questions Why 30 Officials Are Travelling With 55 Athletes: 'Isn't This Too Much?'

Ugandan Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has publicly questioned the size of the official delegation set to accompany the nation's athletes to the 2026 Commonwealth Games, demanding a reduction in their numbers.

During a send-off ceremony for Team Uganda, the Prime Minister expressed shock upon learning that 30 officials were scheduled to travel with the 55 competing athletes.

The issue of large official entourages at major sporting events has been a recurring point of contention across the continent.

The 2026 Commonwealth Games are slated to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2. However, the article contains a factual error, as the 2026 Games are scheduled for Victoria, Australia, and the most recent Glasgow Games were in 2014. The Prime Minister's comments were made while flagging off the team for a previous edition.

With the delegation's expenses covered by the government, Prime Minister Nabbanja called for more responsible use of public funds.

She directly challenged the Minister of Sports, Peter Ogwang, to justify the high number of non-competing personnel.

"Isn't this too much? 30 officials! Why?" a surprised Nabbanja questioned. "No, I am directing the Minister of Sports because we must be vocal as a country... 30 officials, just to go and clap?"

She instructed the minister to trim the list of officials and reallocate the resources to better support the athletes.

"This one had not been brought to my attention, but I have picked interest," she stated. "This is too much, and I direct that you see how to trim [the list] for us to give more input in our athletes instead of officials."

The 55-strong team, consisting of 34 women and 21 men, is set to compete across nine disciplines, including athletics, boxing, netball, swimming, and track cycling.

This marks Uganda's 16th appearance at the Commonwealth Games, having previously secured 58 medals—19 gold, 16 silver, and 23 bronze.

The athletics and boxing teams have historically been the country's most successful medal winners. This year's athletics squad features prominent names such as former Olympic steeplechase champion Peruth Chemutai and former 800m world champion Halimah Nakaayi.