Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has once again ignited regional tensions, this time with a blistering online critique of Kenya’s leadership in the UN-backed Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission in Haiti.
In a barrage of fiery tweets posted to his official X account, the outspoken General accused Kenyan police of failing to stabilize Haiti, boldly claiming that Uganda’s People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) could swiftly succeed where Kenya has “struggled.”
“It would take us one month to capture Port-au-Prince,” Muhoozi asserted, referring to Haiti’s heavily gang-infested capital.
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His comments come as Kenya marks the first anniversary of leading the controversial MSS Mission aimed at restoring order in a country ravaged by violent gangs and political instability. As of May, Kenya had deployed 800 police officers to bolster the Haitian National Police (HNP) in their struggle against well-armed criminal groups.
Despite the mission celebrating some key wins, such as reclaiming critical infrastructure in Port-au-Prince including hospitals, schools, and the main airport, the mission faces mounting scrutiny. A recent alarm from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that without proper funding and logistics, the progress made could be short-lived.
Muhoozi didn’t stop at criticism. He invited the United Nations to cancel Kenya’s role in the Caribbean operation and instead negotiate directly with Uganda to take over the anti-gang initiative.
“The Kenyans have failed after nearly 2 years…that’s what we expected. The UN is welcome to offer us favourable terms,” he wrote.
Muhoozi’s remarks come just ten days before the mission is set to conclude its initial term. His proposal to replace Kenya with the UPDF reads like a political grenade, timed precisely when global attention is fixed on Haiti’s volatile situation and Kenya’s performance on the international stage.
Notably, this isn’t Muhoozi’s first time triggering a diplomatic row with Nairobi. In 2022, the General notoriously tweeted that it would take the UPDF just two weeks to capture Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, a remark that forced Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who is also Muhoozi’s father, to issue a formal apology to Kenya.
As regional observers brace for potential fallout, Muhoozi’s latest outburst reopens old wounds and tests East Africa’s delicate military and diplomatic balance.
