UPDF has reminded Ugandans that the force does not ask people to pay any money to join because the recruitment process is always public and not done in the back door. People have been asked to report whoever will call or send messages asking for money for their relatives to be recruited.
The Uganda People’s Defence Forces – UPDF has warned the public
against falling prey to fraudsters as it announced that they are recruiting more 10,000
Local Defence Units –LDU to beef up village security.
Lt. Col Ronald Kakurungu, who is the deputy Defence and
Army spokesperson, said the recruitment exercise will commence next month. He added
that all parts of the country will be given equal opportunities for the able
youths aged 18 to 25 years to take up the positions.
However, Lt. Col Kakurungu said they were concerned of
incidents that came up during the previous recruitment exercises where people
were charged money by unscrupulous groups claiming to be serving on interests
of UPDF.
UPDF has reminded Ugandans that the force does not ask
people to pay any money to join because the recruitment process is always
public and not done through the back door. People have been asked to report whoever
will call or send messages asking for money for their relatives to be
recruited.
“The recruitment dates will be announced in the main
stream media. The recruitment venues will also be made known for everyone. Don’t
be duped. Don’t be conned to pay money. UPDF doesn’t charge people to join its
forces,” said Lt. Col Kakurungu.
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni ordered for recruitment of
24,000 LDUs in 2018. At the time, the country mostly the Kampala metropolitan area
that includes Kampala City, Wakiso and Mukono districts were experiencing a spate
of violent crimes among others assassinations, armed robberies, children and
women kidnaps.
Museveni gave LDU recruitment orders five days after
the then Arua Municipality MP Col. Ibrahim Abiriga had been gunned down near his
home area in Kawanda, Nansana Municipality, in Wakiso District.
Between 2018 and 2019, UPDF recruited close to 20000
LDUs. The first group constituted more than 6000 LDU, who were deployed in
Kampala metropolitan area. Another group had 12,000 LDUs who were deployed in among
other areas of Masaka, Mityana, Jinja, Mbale, Soroti and Luwero.
Fred Egesa, a security analyst, says it is not necessary
for UPDF to recruit more LDUs. Egesa thinks the government should put emphasis
on building intelligence networks from grassroots to the top.
“I wish the president had people who are able to
analyze security trends and they advise him. In this state of affairs, you don’t
need more LDUs. But you need to strengthen intelligence network from the lowest
level,” said Egesa.
LDU have been on the spotlight ever since they were
recruited two years ago. Their brutality was mostly visible during the first
COVID-19 lockdown last year where they whipped several women vendors on streets
of Kampala. In addition, a number of people are still nursing wounds and others
died in the hands of LDUs.
Senior Staff Reporter
Joseph Kato is currently a Master's candidate at Makerere University. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Mass Communication from Kampala International University, a Diploma in Journalism and he's also a graduate in Guidance and Counseling.
