The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) commenced the national recruitment exercise across the country, with successful activities reported in Adjumani and Kaabong districts.
In Adjumani District, 36 candidates passed the physical recruitment exercise conducted at Paridi Stadium. Out of the 61 shortlisted applicants, 51 turned up for the screening, while 10 failed to report. Colonel David Opeero, who is overseeing the recruitment in the Northern region, said that the exercise was conducted transparently under the watch of relevant stakeholders.
During the screening, several candidates were disqualified: five for failing to present original documents, three for name discrepancies, and one who was arrested for attempting to join using forged credentials.
All successful candidates will be issued admission letters and are required to report individually to the Recruit Training School in Kaweweta, Nakaseke District, within three days.
The recruitment team proceeds to Gulu City on 6 August, where the next phase will take place at Pece Stadium for candidates from Gulu City, Gulu District, and Omoro District.
In the Karamoja Sub-region, recruitment efforts also got underway in Kaabong District, where Team Seven, led by Colonel Santurino Mashereka Tumuranzye, conducted the exercise at the district headquarters. Eleven candidates were recruited from Kaabong out of 14 shortlisted, while six were selected from Karenga District out of eight.
Col Tumuranzye commended the collaboration between the recruitment team and local leaders, noting that timely mobilisation had enabled the process to run smoothly despite challenging conditions.
Kaabong Resident District Commissioner, Mr Stephen Latek Odongo, advised successful recruits to uphold discipline, patriotism, and commitment throughout their military service. He also urged them to report to Kaweweta promptly to avoid disqualification, emphasising that this year, recruits are expected to travel to the training school at their own cost.
The UPDF recruitment team is scheduled to continue operations in Kotido and Abim districts on 7 and 8 August, respectively, with activities taking place at Kotido District Headquarters.
