By Haron Okwir
Otuke, Uganda | Uganda People’s Defence Forces-UPDF, has on Wednesday started recruiting youths from all the districts across the country including districts in Acholi sub region.
For Lango Sub Region, the recruitment will kick off on the 11th August, 2025 with Lira District and Lira City but for Otuke and Alebtong district, the recruitment exercise is slated to take place on the 12th August , 2025 at Akii – Bua stadium in Lira city.
Among 86 youth from Otuke who applied to join the force via the onlne portal, only 41 qualified and they are among the 13,000, candidates.
The ongoing phase will involve physical screening at designated district recruitment centers from August 5 to August 15 and the physical screening will further reduce the number of qualified applicants from 13,000 to the final target of 11,500.
According to Isaac Opio Opeo, the Assistant RDC Otuke District in an interview with our reporter today in his office, said that the UPDF recruitment is free of charge as he also urged those who are having medical problems never to go because they will be thrown out.
Opio advised the 41 candidates in Otuke and the whole Lango Sub Region to keep on doing practices telling them to turn up in their numbers without anyone missing it.
He also cautioned those who are having bogus documents not to bother themselves to go to the recruitment centre because they may even be arrested from there.
Meanwhile he also confirmed that the date for the recruitment, the Resident District Commissioner and District Internal Security Officer from Otuke District will be to oversee how the process will run.
In his conclusion, Opio slammed the NRM government under the stewardship of H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni for the opportunity granted to the educated youth in different departments.
Also, the UPDF recently conducted a nationwide recruitment drive from July 7 to July 11, 2025, aiming to enlist 11,500 new soldiers whereby the process began with online applications submitted through the UPDF website.
According to Major General Felix Kulaigye, the Director of Defence Public Information, the force received a total of 78,000 applications and of these, only 13,000 applicants successfully qualified for the next stage, leaving 65,000 disqualified.
The requirements for this recruitment is National ID or NIRA Registration Verification Certificate, ‘O’ Level, ‘A’ Level certificates and other documents.
