28-year-old fisherman makes cut for conscription into UPDF
Some of the youths from the Buvuma, Kayunga, Jinja Districts and Jinja City who turned up for conscription as Local Defence Unit and regular UPDF officers at Kakindu Stadium in Jinja City on June 27, 2022. PHOTO/DENIS EDEMA
What you need to know:
- Mr Henry Temu, who hails from Buvuma District, joined 4,000 others from Jinja, Kayunga and Buvuma districts, to meet the 200 recruitment target to join the Local Defence Unit and UPDF
A 28-year-old fisherman was among thousands who turned up at Kakindu Stadium in Jinja City for conscription into the Uganda People’s Defense Forces [UPDF].
Mr Henry Temu, who hails from Buvuma District, joined 4,000 others from Jinja, Kayunga and Buvuma districts, to meet the 200 recruitment target to join the Local Defence Unit and UPDF.
Mr Temu was excited upon being informed that he was medically, mentally and physically healthy for conscription, which he said had been his interest for a long time but was limited by the remoteness of his mother district.
“I have been a fisherman although I went to school but did not go far. When I heard about the recruitment exercise, I prepared myself and God was on my side. I was thoroughly checked and found to be medically and physically fit,” an elated Temu said.
He has, however, learnt from the recruitment exercise that when you have authentic documents, you go through without paying any bribe.
At Kakindu, thousands were turned away on medical grounds and presenting forged academic documents, the UPDF First Division Spokesperson, Maj Charles Kabona, said.
“There is an overwhelming turn-up of 4,000 applicants. Unfortunately, only 200 are going to be taken up after tight screening, Maj Kabona said, attributing the high turn-up to the discipline and professionalism exhibited by the men and women in uniform.
“We are going to take those who graduated in the areas of sciences like nursing, doctors, civil engineering, ITC specialists and mechanics,” Maj Kabona said.
He added that they haven’t registered any case of people being ferried from one place to another due to reliance on the local leadership [village chairpersons] who recommended these youths.
“We believe the recommendations are authentic, but will have to be subjected to our verification team,” he said, adding that 1,000 professional drivers are going to be recruited between June 30 and July 1 at Gaddafi Barracks, while the recruitment of 100 medical personnel will be at Kololo Airstrip on July 1.
