KAMPALA, Uganda — The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has announced that 65,000 Ugandans have been disqualified during the initial phase of its nationwide recruitment exercise.
The military force is seeking to enlist 11,500 new soldiers from a total of 78,000 applicants who participated in the online recruitment drive held between July 7 and July 11, 2025.
According to Maj Gen Felix Kulayigye, the Director of Defence Public Information, only 13,000 applicants successfully met the initial criteria and have qualified for the next stage of the process, leaving the vast majority of applicants disqualified.
The next phase will involve a physical screening at designated district recruitment centers, scheduled to take place from August 5 to August 15.
Kulaigye noted that this stage is expected to further reduce the number of qualified individuals from 13,000 to the final target of 11,500 recruits.
The UPDF has also issued an advisory, urging applicants with certain medical conditions—such as bow-leggedness, cross-eyedness, or ringworm—to refrain from attending the physical screening, as they are unlikely to meet the required medical standards for enlistment.
