Thirteen people are in trouble for allegedly presenting forged academic documents during the ongoing Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) recruitment exercise at Kakindu Stadium in Jinja City. The suspects, comprising 10 men and three women from different districts in the Busoga sub-region, are being held at Jinja Central Police Station pending further investigations and possible prosecution.
According to the UPDF recruitment team, the suspects had applied for recruitment online but were not shortlisted for the final screening. They nevertheless turned up at the recruitment centre, despite not being contacted by the force. The UPDF had shortlisted 200 candidates from Jinja District and Jinja City, where it was seeking to recruit 126 people.
Recruitment officials reportedly became suspicious after noticing that some shortlisted candidates had not turned up for screening. The suspects allegedly assumed the identities of the absent candidates, using their names and other personal details to gain access to the screening process. They reportedly managed to undergo some of the initial drills before recruitment officials detected inconsistencies in their identities and academic documents.
Brig. Peter Omolla, the head of the UPDF recruitment team in Busoga, said the academic documents presented by the suspects lacked key security features, including photographs and district codes. He said the suspects also failed to provide basic information about their identities, including the names of their biological parents, dates of birth, schools attended and years of study, raising suspicion about the authenticity of their documents.
Omolla suspects that one of the suspects may have recorded the personal details of shortlisted candidates who were absent and subsequently convinced others to obtain forged academic documents from a printing shop in the area. He stressed that UPDF recruitment is merit-based and urged applicants not to resort to fraud. “The recruitment exercise is merit-based, and outstanding individuals are selected to join the force without fear or favour,” Omolla said.
He said the UPDF has sufficient technology to detect fraudulent documents, making it difficult for applicants to evade detection. The recruitment exercise in Busoga is expected to continue throughout the week. Omolla warned applicants against presenting false documents, saying those found engaging in fraud would be arrested and prosecuted.
Jinja City Resident Commissioner Salim Kumaketch urged successful recruits to maintain discipline and demonstrate commitment throughout their training. Kumaketch said discipline and commitment would help the recruits persevere through training, build successful careers in the UPDF and make a positive contribution to their communities and the country-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
