By Faith Lanyero
Kampala: The Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) is set to embark on a countrywide recruitment of soldiers to boost the county’s security and helping sister security operatives as the nation is gearing for the 2021 general elections.
Spy Uganda has learnt that the recruitment drive is set to start on December 27 and shall run until January 5th, 2020.
In a press statement issued on Saturday, December 7, 2019, the UPDF Spokesperson Brig Richard Karemire indicates that the coming recruitment shall be conducted in about 35 centres across the country.
Brig Karemire noted that this year’s recruitment like the previous ones aims at attracting very composed and patriotic Ugandans ready to serve in regular and specialized units.
He added that this will also offer an opportunity to the UPDF to fill gaps created by retirements and also tap skills of personnel with competencies in science subjects required in a modern army.
The UPDF mouthpiece further said, for one to be recruited he or she must be a citizen of Uganda holding the original national ID card, good health ready to undergo check-ups and road run, and should between the age of 18 and 25 for and age the of 18-30 as regular or professional respectively.
Regular recruits should possess a minimum education of Uganda Certificate of Education and Advance Certificate of Education with bias in science subjects such as physics, chemistry and mathematics.
And those seeking to be recruited as professionals should be holders of Degree or Diploma in medicine, Engineering, Chemistry, Education or vocational skills.
According to Brig. Karemire the UPDF leadership has set up teams to ensure that the exercise achieves its objectives within the time given and all districts are encouraged to mobilize youths to ensure that their quota is realized.
He cautioned that the recruitment into the UPDF is not an off the hook job opportunity but rather a patriotic calling to serve the country in a field that requires great sacrifice and determination.
The recruitment shall start from Rakai, Lyantonde and Kyotera districts and the recruitment center shall be at Lyantonde district headquarters on December 27th.
President Yoweri Museveni, also the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces cautioned against recruitment of those without integrity into public offices.
