A 27-year-old man, identified as Esau Niwandinda, has been arrested for allegedly trying to bribe his way into the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF). The incident happened during the ongoing recruitment exercise at Kabale Stadium.
According to officials, Niwandinda offered 1 million shillings in exchange for a place in the army. Major Tabaro, who spoke about the matter, said the suspect was caught red-handed asking around about who he should pay to get recruited.
News of the arrest quickly spread online, with some Ugandans taking to X (formerly Twitter) to praise the UPDF for taking swift action against the suspect. Many users said such discipline was important to keep the recruitment process fair.
The UPDF had earlier announced the recruitment exercise, attracting many candidates from different areas. However, not all were successful. Officials revealed that some applicants were sent home after being found with forged documents.
UPDF spokesperson, Major General Felix Kulayigye, had warned before the recruitment began that the army would take firm action against anyone caught trying to extort money from candidates. He stressed that any form of bribery or corruption during the process would be dealt with according to the law.
This incident comes as Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, has called on all Ugandans to maintain peace ahead of the upcoming general elections. General Muhoozi also announced that all presidential candidates will be given security by the Special Forces Command (SFC) during the election period.
The UPDF has urged the public to report any suspicious activities during the recruitment exercise to help maintain integrity and transparency in the selection of new soldiers.