General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of President Yoweri Museveni and the head of Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), has expressed his country’s willingness to join the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti.
In a post on X on Saturday, March 1, 2025, Muhoozi noted that Uganda had received multiple appeals to join the Haiti mission.
However, he made it clear that Uganda’s involvement would be contingent upon an official request from either the United Nations or the United States.
“I have received many appeals from our brothers and sisters in Haiti. I want them all to know that we love them very much. UPDF is ready to deploy there, let the UN or US make a formal invitation to us. We will be there and we will finish all the problems in Haiti,” Muhoozi wrote.
Muhoozi further bragged that UPDF would quickly eliminate Haitian gangs if it joined the MSS mission.
“Within a month we would have eliminated all criminals in Haiti!” he wrote.
In another post, Muhoozi confidently stated that Haitian gang leader Jimmy Chérizier aka Barbecue would surrender within 24 hours of UPDF deployment to the troubled Caribbean island nation.
“Barbecue will have to surrender to us within 24 hours if he doesn’t want Kandoya!” he wrote.
Officer killed
Muhoozi’s remarks come days after Kenya lost its first police officer in the Haiti mission.
The officer, whose identity has not been revealed, sustained injuries during a security operation in Ségur – Savien, in the Artibonite department, on February 23, 2025. He was airlifted to Aspen Level 2 Hospital for treatment but, unfortunately, succumbed to his injuries.
In a statement shared on his X account on Monday, February 24, 2025, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen expressed deep sorrow over the loss of the officer.
He described him as a gallant officer dedicated to peacekeeping efforts in Haiti and assured his family of the government’s support during this difficult time.
“I’m deeply saddened by the news of the death of one of our gallant officers who was on peacekeeping duties in Haiti under the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS). The officer passed on in hospital from injuries he sustained while on a security operation on 23rd February, 2025. My deepest sympathies go to his family, friends and colleagues. We will do everything possible to support the family during this difficult time of grief. We are immensely grateful for his contribution to our country and the stability of Haiti,” Murkomen stated.
MSS mission
The Kenya-led MSS mission was approved by the UN Security Council in 2023 to assist Haiti’s struggling National Police in countering gang violence.
Kenya committed 1,000 police officers to the effort, with deployments beginning earlier this year. Several other nations, including Jamaica, The Bahamas, and Belize, pledged smaller contingents.
However, the mission has encountered logistical and financial hurdles. It remains significantly understrength, with less than half of the planned personnel on the ground.
In recent months, armed gangs have expanded their territorial control in Port-au-Prince, highlighting the dire need for additional security forces.
Uganda, which has a history of military interventions in regional conflicts, including deployments in Somalia under the African Union Transition Mission (ATMIS), could provide experienced troops accustomed to counterinsurgency and urban warfare.
Martin Oduor
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