Tabu Butagira, Robert Muhereza & Samuel O. Egadu
16 January 2008
THE nationwide recruitment of new UDPF soldiers entered the second day yesterday with a stern warning to Congolese and Rwandese not to offer themselves as prospective recruits.
"This army recruitment is strictly for Ugandan citizens," Lt. Obadhia Musimenta, the Internal Security Officer of Kabale District in western Uganda, said at the recruitment centre.
"Any person from the neighbouring countries of Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo intending to be recruited into the UPDF should disappear before they are arrested," he said.
The warning, which is part of the general caution to UPDF recruitment officers, especially at border districts, comes in the wake of reports pointing to a rising number of unemployed foreigners flocking into the country, seeking menial and skilled jobs.
Captain Paddy Ankunda, the Defence and Army Spokesman, said yesterday that the rigid control measures were adopted to edge out rogue characters and possible alien infiltrators who, if enlisted, would perpetuate military intelligence leaks to their mother countries - thus endangering Uganda's national security.
Clause 4 of Article 208 of the (amended) 1995 Uganda Constitution provides that, "Members of the Uganda People's Defence Forces shall be citizens of Uganda of good character".
In Gulu and Amuru districts over 145 youths who were eager to join the army were disapointed after they were disqualified for reasons ranging from poor health, physical infirmity, old age and lack of required academic qualification.
The interviewees were subjected to HIV/Aids, sight and hearing tests to detect any impairment. They were asked to run five kilometers. However, many collapsed before completing the exercise.
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