Army leadership to intergrate graduate LDUs into UPDF

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Army leadership has reportedly started a process of integrating all graduate Local Defense Unit –LDU personnel into Uganda People’s Defense Forces- UPDF.

The minimum education qualification during the LDU recruitment drive was Primary Leaving Examination –PLE certificate and the maximum was a Uganda Certificate of Education- UCE.

According to sources, the army leadership has since learnt that hundreds of graduates joined the LDU force.

Major Yusuf Katamba, the UPDF first division spokesperson that superintends the LDUs, confirmed that the army has since established that several LDU personnel are graduates from various institution of higher learning.

He however, says UPDF is yet to establish the number of the graduates serving under LDU force, adding that the process of elevating graduates and those with special skills hasn’t started.

More than 20000 LDUs have passed out after undergoing four month’s basic military training.

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni ordered for recruitment of the LDUs in 2018 at the peak of assassinations, kidnaps and robberies.

6000 LDUs were recruited in the first phase and over 14000 in the second phase. They are deployed in various parts of the country.

Educationist, Fagil Mande applauds graduates who to choose to join LDU instead of being jobless. Mande says several degree holders are idle because they despise jobs, a mentality that needs to be changed.

Mande says graduates should embrace available opportunities that ensure they are employed rather than being idle with their degrees.

While reading this financial budget in June last year, Finance Minister, Matia Kasaija, said Uganda has over 600,000 unemployed youths.

Nevertheless, others believe unemployment statistics are much higher than those stated by the minister.

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