Senior Six leaver dies during physical fitness test for LDU recruitment

One person has died and three others admitted to Apac hospital in critical condition after they collapsed during the Local Defense Unit (LDU) recruitment exercise in Apac District on Friday.
Ronald Obono, 23, collapsed and died after completing a 5-km road run. The exercise was part of the recruitment physical fitness test. The incident occurred at around 12pm.
Obono was a resident of Bung B’ Village, Alira Parish, Aduku Sub-county in Kwania District.

His father, Mr Jasper Obaa, who witnessed the incident firsthand said: “I carried him on a motorcycle to Apac Boma Ground where the recruitment exercise was taking place. They were then made to run in a group up to Atopi, about 2.5km. And my son collapsed immediately he returned to Apac Boma Ground, the same point where they set off for the road run.”
When Obono collapsed, a team of army medical personnel offered him first aid including putting him on drip but it was too late to save his life.

Mr Obaa said his son was very healthy when he took him to be recruited into the LDU.
“He completed Senior Six at Akalo Secondary School in Kole District last year and we agreed as a family that joining the LDU would be the best thing for him because of scarcity of jobs in Uganda,” he said.
Obono was the third born in a family of eight.
His body has been taken to Apac hospital morgue for post-mortem.
“As a clan, we shall hold a meeting tomorrow (Saturday) to prepare for his burial,” Mr Obaa, a teacher, said.

Lt Hassan Ahamed Kato, the 5th Division army spokesperson said: “They were four who collapsed during our physical fitness run and of the four, one by the name of Obono Ronald died. Obono died as a result of hypoxia, a condition in which the body or a region of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply at the tissue level.”
The three, who were rushed to the nearby Apac Main hospital for medication, have already been discharged.

“But before taking them to the hospital we first gave them first aid. So it was really very unfortunate that we lost Obono Ronald. Our medical officers and the team tried everything possible to save his life but we could not save him. Our deepest condolences and sympathy goes to the family of Mr Obono Ronald,” Lt Kato said.

However, the army spokesperson said they have always told their candidates going to contest for the LDU to be physically fit. This is because the army normally subjects the candidates to physical fitness test, which requires a healthy candidate because of the nature of the maximum requirement needed.
The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) fresh recruitment exercise of 1,300 LDU personnel from central, eastern, northern and mid-western Uganda kicked off on July 15 across the country.

Last year at the height of lawlessness in the country, President Museveni ordered the recruitment of 24,000 LDUs to provide security around Kampala and Wakiso districts in addition to installation of security cameras on streets. However, only 6,000 LDUs were recruited.
Last week, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces kicked off the second recruitment exercise from different centres of the country targeting to recruit 3,000 youths.

Prior to the exercise, the spokesperson of UPDF Land Forces, Lt Col Henry Obbo, said the 17-day recruitment exercise, is aimed at enhancing security in the country.