The Chief of Defence Forces has been awarded with Kabalega Star, the second highest honour in Uganda’s military.
The honour, only second to the Order of Katonga is awarded to individuals in recognition of conspicuous gallantry, and distinguished military service.
During the 45th Tarehe Sita celebrations in Kabale, Gen Muhoozi was decorated with the honour by President Museveni who is also the commander in chief of the UPDF.
During citation, Gen Muhoozi was hailed for his contribution during the Lord’s Resistance Army(Joseph Kony) war, and other UPDF expeditions in DRC, Somalia and South Sudan.
He previously commanded operations against Al-Shabaab up to 2022, and directly executed strategic missions in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of South Sudan and Somalia, all aimed at eliminating terrorism and creating a stable region.
The Escapades
The Special Forces Command, commanded by Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba deployed commandos in Somalia against Al Shabaab.
The SFC still deployed snipers that changed the game for the UPDF in Somalia by allowing Ugandan soldiers counter Al Shabaab’s urban warfare tactics.
Commenting about the role of snipers, the late Gen Paul Lokech who was then a UPDF contingent commander said in an interview that Al Shabaab had deeply entrenched themselves in build up areas with tunnels using high rise buildings and the Ugandan army had to fight street-by-street, block-by-block, house-by-house and room-by-room in a bid to dislodge the group.
To this, the SFC snipers came in handy to secure key, high-rise buildings and break the dreadlock in narrow contested streets that were under Al Shabaab control.
The SFC snipers also had to take out snipers, some of them foreigners who had been deployed by Al Shabaab in Mogadishu at the time.
This tactical evolution spearheaded by SFC under the command of Gen Muhoozi helped the UPDF move from defensive positions to successfully taking control of critical areas in Mogadishu and surrounding areas.
In 2013, UPDF deployed soldiers, including commandos from the Special Forces Command to South Sudan and they helped avert a would be bad situation as Riek Machar’s forces almost toppled Salva Kiir’s government.
Gen Muhoozi’s escapades have also been witnessed in Northern Uganda during Operation Iron Fist as he commanded offensives against Lord’s Resistance Army leader, Joseph Kony as well as in Eastern DRC as part of Operation Shuja against Allied Democratic Forces, a designated terrorist organisation, also known as Islamic State’s Central Africa Province (ISCAP).
The group is the deadliest among all those fighting in Eastern DRC.
