LDP recruitment team in Arua overwhelmed by numbers

ARUA, UGANDA: Thousands of applicants have turned up at Arua Police grounds during the launch of recruitment exercise for Local Defense Personnel (LDPs) in West Nile sub region.

The exercise for the Sub region which commenced this morning at Arua police grounds seeks to get at least 674 recruits from the sub region.

Early this month, the Uganda Peoples Defence Force – UPDF announced plans to recruit a total of 10,000 people in this national exercise. The aim of the exercise is to attract Ugandans to serve in the regular and specialized units of UPDF.

Colonel Jimmy Nabbiyu Musoke, the team leader of the recruitment exercise in West Nile says biggest interest of the exercise is to secure the populace with their property. He says they have used officers qualified in the different fields to screen recruits adding that academic excellence is key. Nabbiyu has however cautioned the recruits to report any persons who asks money from them in the recruitment process.

According to the recruitment guidelines, recruits should be between 18 and 25 years of age for regular force and 18 to 30 years for the professional force. Recruits under the regular force category need to possess a minimum education of Ordinary or Advanced level but with a bias in science subjects like physics, chemistry and mathematics.

Meanwhile, those in the professional category are required to hold a degree or at least a diploma in medicine, Engineering, Education or possess qualifications in vocational skills.

Gorge Owanyi, the Arua RDC also says they have received overwhelming numbers of applicants something he attributes to the high level of professionalism of the army.

Alice Akello, the Resident City Commissioner of Arua cautioned the applicants to be discipline and avoid engaging in corruption tendencies once they are passed out.

By end of the day, UPDF shall have completed the exercise in Arua that attracted applicants from Madi-Okollo and Arua districts as well as Arua City. The team will also conduct the same exercise in Koboko, Nebbi, Yumbe districts.