Uganda has signalled willingness to participate in the Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission in Haiti, with General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the country's top military official, stating that the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) is ready to deploy if formally invited by 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, who is the president's son and heir apparent, posted on X on March 1.

The general's remarks came days after Kenya suffered its first casualty in the Haiti operation. A Kenyan officer, injured in a security operation on February 23 succumbed to his wounds after being airlifted for treatment. Kenyan Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen described him as a dedicated peacekeeper and assured government support for his family.

The Kenya-led MSS mission, authorised by the UN Security Council in 2023, was deployed to assist Haiti’s police in tackling gang violence. Kenya committed 1,000 officers, with smaller contributions from Jamaica, The Bahamas, and Belize. However, the mission remains understrength owing to logistical and financial hurdles, while gangs continue to tighten their grip on the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, Sky News reported on March 1.

Uganda, which has experience in counterinsurgency from its deployments in Somalia under the African Union Transition Mission (ATMIS), could bolster efforts to stabilise Haiti if it joins the mission. Muhoozi asserted that UPDF would swiftly eliminate gangs, declaring, “Within a month we would have eliminated all criminals in Haiti!” He also claimed that Haitian gang leader Jimmy Chérizier, known as Barbecue, would surrender within 24 hours of UPDF’s arrival.

Despite its challenges, the MSS mission is crucial as Haiti faces escalating violence at the hands of gangs. The possible addition of Ugandan forces underscores the urgent need for reinforcements to restore order in the crisis-hit nation.

As bne IntelliNews reported, Muhoozi, who is known for making provocative and inflammatory public statements on social media, recently threatened to attack the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) city of Bunia unless “all forces” there surrendered within 24 hours. Uganda’s military declined to comment, and no such attack took place.

In 2022, Muhoozi threatened to invade Kenya. Last month, he said he wanted to behead Uganda’s opposition leader Bobi Wine, later apologising and claiming some of his remarks were ironic.