By Our Reporter

Kampala — The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) has announced a nationwide recruitment exercise aimed at enlisting 11,500 qualified citizens into the regular forces and professional units, in an effort to strengthen the country’s defence capacity. 
The exercise will run from Monday, July 7, 2025, to Friday, July 11, 2025, and will be conducted in two phases: an online application process followed by physical recruitment and verification at designated centres across the country.

In an official statement, the UPDF urged all interested Ugandans to submit their applications through the official UPDF Recruitment Portal: recruitment.updf.go.ug. Applicants are required to upload a passport photograph, academic documents, and a valid National ID. Shortlisted candidates will be published on the UPDF website and displayed at respective district headquarters. 
The physical recruitment phase will take place at various centres in all 135 districts and 11 cities, based on quotas determined using population data from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS).

Target Categories
The 2025 recruitment exercise will cover:

• Regular Forces: Open to holders of the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), aged 18–22 years.
• Grade Five Teachers: Diploma holders from recognized teacher training institutions, aged 20–25 years.
• Air Force Professionals: Positions available for pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, air traffic controllers, meteorologists, and graduates in relevant fields such as telecommunication engineering, IT, software engineering, computer science, mechanical and electrical engineering. The age limit for professionals is 18–30 years.
  
  

Applicants must present original academic documents, National Identity Card, three passport-size photos, and a handwritten application with recommendations from local leaders (LC I, II, III, GISO/DISO, and RDC).

Special Guidelines
The UPDF emphasized that recruitment is free of charge, warning the public against fraudsters demanding money in exchange for favours.
“All qualified, disciplined, and patriotic Ugandans are encouraged to seize this opportunity to serve their country,” the statement reads. “Female professionals are strongly encouraged to apply.” 
Professionals, Senior Six leavers, Grade V teachers, and Air Force recruits will be centrally interviewed and recruited at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds.

Eligibility requirements
Candidates must:

• Be Ugandan citizens with a valid National ID.
• Be physically and medically fit.
• Have no criminal record and be law-abiding.
• Reside in the area of application and secure proper recommendations from local leaders.

Successful applicants will receive introduction cards to be presented at training centres upon reporting.
The UPDF says the exercise is part of its mission to uphold patriotism, discipline, and Pan-African values as it builds a modern, professional force ready to defend Uganda’s sovereignty.

For more information, visit: www.updf.go.ug

Torch Media Africa