By Okello Mathew
TORORO
Tororo district Members of Parliament want the Uganda People’s Defence Force UPDF recruitment process halted in the district over purported irregularities.
The Members of Parliament say that out of 120 slots allocated to Tororo district, majority of those recruited came from other districts.
The MPs who were attending the District Roads Committee on Friday, 1st July, 2022 said the exercise that took place on the 24th June, 2022 was flawed with many irregularities.
Sarah Achieng Opendi, the Tororo District Woman Member of Parliament said she was called by several people on the recruitment day seeking for her intervention in the unfair recruitment process.
Opendi said the recruiters moved with their own people and resorted to beating and harassing local people most of whom were chased away without any good reasons.
She then called for the halting of the entire recruitment process saying that UPDF should avail the list of those recruited from Tororo district for scrutiny.
“We shall not be used as Tororo people to this extent where even our children are supposed to benefit, they are deprived,” said Sarah Opendi.
Jackson Osudo, the Tororo District Senior Principal Assistant Secretary said that the UPDF should create a system where local leaders are given the right to verify the final lists to avoid such unfortunate occurrences.
The West Budama South Member of Parliament, Emmanuel Otaala said that the high rate of mistreatment reported by the recruits should equally be investigated.
The Minister of State for Defence, Jacob Markson Oboth equally acknowledged the irregularities revealing that his own nephew was slapped and chased out of the recruitment grounds.
He however says that he reported the matter to the senior minister of defence and veteran affairs and also to the Chief of Defence forces, UPDF whom he says have promised to investigate the matter and later take action.
Oboth also said that he received a report that some of the Tororo district Local council I chairpersons were bribed with 10,000 to give letters to non-residents of Tororo district.
