Hundreds Turn Up for UPDF Recruitment Exercise in Mukono
Hundreds of young Ugandans participated in a UPDF military recruitment exercise in Mukono, undergoing rigorous physical and medical testing. One applicant required hospitalization after collapsing during a mandatory fitness run.
Why it matters
The event underscores the high demand for employment within the national army and the intense physical standards required for enlistment in Uganda.
MUKONO – Hundreds of young Ugandans from Mukono and neighbouring districts have turned up in large numbers for the ongoing Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) recruitment exercise, hoping to secure an opportunity to join the national army.
The Friday, August 21, exercise attracted applicants from Mukono, Kayunga, Buvuma and Buikwe, with candidates undergoing a series of physical, medical and academic assessments to determine their suitability for military service.
One of the most challenging moments came after a four-kilometre fitness run designed to test the applicants’ physical endurance. Among those who struggled during the exercise was Abdalla Nahate, a native of Butaleja District.
Nahate reportedly collapsed after the demanding run and became distressed, pleading with the medical team to return his academic documents so that he could leave the recruitment centre and return home.
He reportedly told the medical team that he had failed to make it into the army.
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