The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has launched a nationwide recruitment exercise to enlist 11,500 qualified Ugandans into both the regular and professional arms of the army. The exercise will run from Monday, July 7, to Friday, July 11, 2025, and will include both online applications and physical interviews conducted in all districts across the country.
In an official statement issued on Friday, July 4, UPDF spokesperson Maj Gen Felix Kulayigye urged all eligible Ugandans to apply through the official recruitment portal provided in the statement. Applicants are required to upload their passport photo, national ID, and academic documents.
The names of shortlisted candidates will be published on the UPDF website and displayed on district notice boards.
“Recruitment into the UPDF is completely free of charge. Do not pay anyone. Any case of bribery or fraud should be reported to the police,” Maj Gen Kulayigye emphasized.
Shortlisted candidates will be invited for physical interviews at their respective district recruitment centers. During the interviews, candidates must present a handwritten application, recommendation letters from LCI, LCII, and LCIII chairpersons, endorsements from the GISO or DISO and the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), as well as original academic documents and two recent passport-size photographs.
The number of recruits allocated to each district will be based on Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) population data as of June 2024.
The UPDF will recruit under two major categories. The general recruits who must be Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) certificate holders aged between 18 and 22 and the professional category which includes science-based S.6 leavers, Grade V teachers, pilots, engineers, medical workers, air traffic controllers, and meteorologists. These professional applicants will undergo centralized recruitment at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds.
“We are seeking disciplined, patriotic, and medically fit Ugandans who are willing to serve their country. We strongly encourage female professionals to apply,” Kulayigye added.
He further emphasized that all applicants must be Ugandan citizens, must have no criminal record, and must apply from the district where they reside.
Successful applicants will be issued official introduction cards, which they will present at designated military training centers.
This recruitment drive is part of the UPDF’s wider efforts to build a professional, capable, and trusted national army committed to defending and serving Uganda.
