Govt to introduce mandatory national service

The government through the Ministry of Information, Technology and National Guidance is seeking to introduce mandatory national service targeting university graduates, the State minister for National Guidance, Mr Godfrey Kabbyanga Baluku, has revealed.

This was during a consultative stakeholder meeting yesterday to review the draft national guidance policy that the ministry intends to table before Cabinet.

“We want to come up with a system of national service [whereby] some children from Kigezi, can go and do some national service in Karamoja, so that they really appreciate what the country is having and explore the beauty in our country,” Mr Kabbyanga said.

He added: “For one to go for national service, they always first go for military training so that you are able to defend your country and also defend yourself if you are attacked. But then we want to demystify that, it is not all about military service, it is about so many things. It used to be in Uganda here, students after orientation used to go and serve in different districts as teachers, nurses, doctors voluntarily and this was all national service.”

Mr Kabbyanga also said if approved by Cabinet, the policy will proceed to be discussed before Parliament with a view of passing it into law.

National service, according to the State minister, is important in building patriotism, and fostering unity among people from different backgrounds.

However, this is not the first time the government is mooting introduction  of national service.  The National Graduate Scheme Bill, 2018 is still gathering dust in Parliament.

This is a private member’s Bill that was tabled by Waira Kyewalabye Majegere, the former Member of Parliament for Bunya East County. Mr Majegere argued that if passed into law, it will curb unemployment.

Educationalists and legislators expressed their support for the Bill.

Mr Mathias Mpuuga, the Leader of Opposition in Parliament, said: “The regime is laggard on the subject of graduate service. The 10th Parliament had a Bill that remains unprocessed [the National Graduate Scheme Bill, 2018]. It’s important to give young people an opportunity to acquire work experience that’ll thrust them into the labour market. Given that our education system remains detached from workplace needs, this programme remains the only passway to work-related experience”.

Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, the Makerere University vice-chancellor, in a telephone interview told the Monitor: “National service instils discipline and love for work in young people. I enjoyed it when I studied in the Soviet Union. It gave me many life lessons and the need to love my country, I support the idea fully.”

National guidance policy

The draft national guidance policy articulates Uganda’s national ideological orientation, rallies all stakeholders around one guiding framework on matters of national interest.

The policy also seeks to explain citizen’s effective participation in policy formulation and development processes.

It explains national interests and the common good in promoting socio-economic transformation which requires the shared effort of all Ugandans as reflected in the Constitution.

It educates the citizens about the national values such as humanity, entrepreneurism, love and democratic governance.

It defines the role of the citizen and sustainable social-economic development

It facilitates understanding of national symbols, national identity, patriotism, conflict resolution, peace building and good governance and social–economic transformation

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