Thirteen people have been arrested in Kagadi District for allegedly presenting forged academic documents during the ongoing Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) recruitment exercise.
According to authorities, the group 11 men and two women submitted fake Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) slips, forged Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) certificates, falsified testimonials for those claiming to have sat Senior Four in 2024, and counterfeit identification cards.
Kagadi Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Nanshemeza Caroline condemned the act, calling it unnecessary given the availability of free primary and secondary education in Uganda.
“Presenting fake academic documents is a crime in this country. Why resort to such actions when we have free education? I urge parents and guardians to take advantage of government programmes to ensure their children receive the education they need,” she said.
The suspects are now in police custody for further investigations.
Captain Wilson Kato Agaba, Public Information Officer for UPDF Recruitment Team 5 in the Bunyoro Region, warned that the army’s screening process is thorough.
“We have a professional and dedicated screening team that can easily detect forged academic documents. Don’t risk bringing them to the recruitment centre,” he cautioned.
Out of 88 shortlisted candidates in Kagadi, 61 including four women successfully joined the army.
The recruitment team heads to Kibaale District next, before concluding the exercise in Kakumiro later this week.