In the aftermath of the 2026 Commonwealth Games hosted in Glasgow, a puzzling disappearance has captured public attention: four elite Ugandan boxers who competed at the event have gone missing ahead of their scheduled return flight to their home country. The group, made up of 20-year-old Ibrahim Kemis, 22-year-old Nuhu Batte, 32-year-old Emily Nakalema, and 21-year-old Angel Katushabe, was set to depart Scotland for Uganda on Tuesday, but never arrived at the airport. Since their disappearance, all of their mobile phones have been switched off, cutting off all contact with team officials.
Godwin Kayangwe, Uganda’s chef de mission for the Commonwealth Games, spoke exclusively to BBC Scotland News, stating that team leadership remains completely in the dark about the boxers’ motivations for vanishing. While Kayangwe confirmed that he has no confirmed information about the athletes’ whereabouts, he told reporters he believes the four are likely still in Glasgow or somewhere else in Europe. “They told their team manager they would return to the team before the flight, but after that conversation, all contact stopped,” Kayangwe said. “This is a clear violation of team camp rules, as no athlete is permitted to leave the group without explicit approval from leadership.”
Local media in Uganda has circulated widespread speculation that the four boxers made the deliberate decision to disappear in order to seek asylum in Europe, citing better athletic opportunities and improved training infrastructure overseas. One of the missing boxers spoke to Ugandan sports outlet NBS Sports, confirming that the group intended to apply for asylum and pursue their professional boxing careers in a nation that can offer greater resources and competitive opportunities than they had access to in Uganda. The unnamed athlete also issued a public appeal, asking Ugandan citizens to show understanding and refrain from passing judgment on their life-altering choice.
When questioned about the asylum speculation, Kayangwe pushed back on assumptions about political or social motivations for the disappearance, saying, “I have absolutely no idea what asylum they could be seeking. This is not a political issue, it has nothing to do with gender persecution or anything of that sort – I cannot explain why they chose to do this.” Despite the breach of team rules, Kayangwe struck a hopeful tone, noting that the boxers’ British visas remain valid through October, and that he holds out hope they will change their minds and return home before the visas expire.
Scottish law enforcement have launched official inquiries into the disappearances, along with a number of other unreported absences of Commonwealth athletes who failed to board return flights after the Games. Police officials noted that no formal action can be taken to locate the athletes until their current visas expire, as they are still legally residing in the UK. The case is now being handled by the Ugandan High Commission, which is coordinating with Scottish law enforcement and government authorities to resolve the situation.
In a public message to the four missing boxers, Kayangwe emphasized his core request: “My message is straightforward: abide by local laws, do not overstay your visas before sorting out your status. If you return to Uganda now, you will be free to apply for travel back to Europe at any point in the future.” He added that he hopes the athletes will make the “right decision” and rejoin their team in Uganda.
This is not the only unexplained disappearance from the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games: Pakistani outlet Pakistan Today has also reported that Pakistani boxer Qudrat Ullah failed to join his teammates for their return flight home, and was not found in his team accommodation when officials came to search for him.