UPDF recruits 2,800 youth
Recruits await a medical checkup and physical fitness at Soroti Sports grounds on Thursday. PHOTO BY JOSEPH EIGU ONYANGO
What you need to know:
- The new recruits replace those who retire because of old age and sickness every year. In the last financial year, more than 1,500 soldiers were retired.
- The age requirement for ordinary recruits is between 18 and 25 with a recommendation letter signed by Gombolola Internal Security Officer, village and sub-county chairpersons.
Kampala. At least 2,800 youth have so far been recruited in the ongoing UPDF national recruitment exercise that started two weeks ago.
The deputy army spokesperson, Maj Henry Obbo, on Friday said out of 3,000 needed, only 270 were remaining to be selected from Karamoja, Bukedea, Sebei and Bugisu regions today. The exercise ends today.
Maj Obbo said the process was competitive because of a big turnout of applicants.
“There has been a very high competition. For every 10 recruits needed, 100 turned up. We were forced to give them extra tests because the competition was stiff,” he said.
For example, only 158 recruits were needed in Kabarole, Ntoroko and Kamwenge districts but more than 600 turned up. In Kasese, more than 400 turned up but only 60 were needed.
At least 6,000 failed because they were either above the required age or failed medical tests while others forged academic documents.
Maj Obbo said by last week, more than 8,000 had applied to join the army since October 17 when the recruitment exercise started in central region.
All recruits are required to present national identity cards, must be citizens and have minimum academic qualification of Uganda Certificate of Education or its equivalent “with a bias” in sciences.
The new recruits replace those who retire because of old age and sickness every year. In the last financial year, more than 1,500 soldiers were retired.
The high turnout could be attributed to the high unemployment rate among the youth, but Maj Obbo said the high turn out of recruits was “appealing image of the army”.
“We have been voted the best institution in Uganda many times. That’s why people want to serve as UPDF soldiers,” he said.
Age requirement
The age requirement for ordinary recruits is between 18 and 25 with a recommendation letter signed by Gombolola Internal Security Officer, village and sub-county chairpersons.
However, professionals such as engineers, doctors and nurses, who were recruited from Kololo Airstrip were aged between 18 and 30.
