UPDF recruitment in Jinja marred by forgery cases

JINJA, UGANDA: The Jinja city Uganda Peoples Defense Forces-UPDF recruitment center stationed at Kakindu stadium on Monday, was marred by forgeries of both academic documents and national identity cards by the potential recruits.

The center attracted 4,000 youthful applicants from the districts of Jinja, Buvuma, Kayunga and Jinja city, who underwent both physical and medical examinations on arrival at the stadium.

Over 150 participants had forged academic documents, 28 participants had fake national identity cards, whereas an unspecified number of youths presented fake recommendation letters from village chairpersons, GISOs and DISOs, within the area.

One of the health workers from the recruitment team told URN that about 200 participants tested positive for hepatitis B, hypertension, diabetes and asthma, whereas, others possessed deep scars on different body parts, which disqualified them from joining the force.

Amos Seebe, a resident of Butagaya in Jinja district says that he lost his national identity card and presented a replacement form to the recruitment teams, but he was sent off the grounds.

“I lost my national identity card in April, 2022 and I even filed for replacement of the same, but despite offering them documentation confirming the same, I was denied the opportunity to join UPDF,” he said.

Evelyn Nambi, a resident of Buvuma district says that she misplaced her senior four results slip and presented a photocopy of the same with hopes of being cleared to join the force, but all was in vain.

UPDF’s first division spokesperson Charles Kabona says that they were pleased with the big turn up of potential candidates, despite having an initial target of 215 recruits from all the three districts, which largely necessitated them to employ comprehensive evaluation processes without compromise.

Kabona further stresses that the nature of military training demands the functionality of all potential candidates’ body organs to avert possibilities of fatalities, which largely necessitates the extensive evaluation of recruits’ health and wellbeing, before granting them a placement in the force.