President Museveni Recruits Two LDU Personnel into SFC

President Yoweri Museveni has rewarded two outstanding Local Defence Unit (LDU) guards by recruiting them to be part of the elite Special Forces Command.

Ms Justine Namukirima from Pallisa District and Mr Moris Abel Okello from Layibi Village in Gulu District caught the eye of the President after excelling in the combat demonstration exercise at the pass out of 6,376 LDUs on Saturday at the Kaweweta Recruit Training School in Nakaseke District.

“These two will become my personal guards. Your performance is good. You have 15 target shots, which is very good. You are now joining my personal guards,” Mr Museveni told the duo before directing his security team to take the duo personal details.

The President said the recruitment and training for the LDUs is a big achievement at the time of increasing criminality.

“The LDU force is just part of the therapy that we have applied and with this new force, we are a big step ahead. These people you call villagers are not villagers but a good force that will do the designated work,” he said.

Mr Museveni said the group’s level of education is good for the start.

“Of course we still have the problem of manpower and the potential to take on more as we recruit. When you want 6,000, about 100,000 will turn up. We cannot take on the big number. But this is a good beginning. I have been briefed by the commanders that we have more than 1,000 who have Advanced Level certificates and diplomas. So this is a good force,” he said.

The Commander-in-Chief welcomed more of such good quality human resources into the Armed Forces saying they are easier to train and add value to the overall security infrastructure of the country.

President Museveni urged the graduands to be ready for further training for their career progression.

“Continuously develop your skills because the future is bright if you know what to do,” he said, adding that preservation of a soldier’s health is another lifetime requirement from each individual soldier.

The Chief of Defence Forces Gen David Muhoozi noted that the training aimed at boosting the security of Uganda. He implored graduands to maintain discipline and put the country above self.

Brig Gen JR Ruheesi, the Commandant of Kaweweta Recruits Training School congratulated the LDUs and praised both the UPDF leadership and local community for embracing the program. He urged intake 03 trainees to remain patriotic, tolerant and loyal in the execution of their duties.

Hebert Wasaja emerged the best overall student, Simon Kamya was best in the shooting range while Loyce Kihembo was the best female trainee.

The newly trained Six Thousand Three Hundred Seventy-Six (6376) personnel, 311 of whom are females, were mainly drawn from Central and some parts of Eastern Uganda.

The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces has since July embarked on recruitment of a total of 13,000 LDU personnel from selected districts in Central, Eastern, Northern and Mid-western Uganda.

The recruitment aimed at enhancing the existing foundation security arrangement in the country to ensure the people and their property are secure at grass root levels. The recruits have undergone four months of basic military training and shall be deployed to serve in their respective districts of recruitment.