The Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) has announced plans to recruit 10,200 personnel in a nationwide exercise scheduled to run between June and July 2026.

The recruitment programme was communicated through a circular from the Office of the President following a request by the Chief of Joint Staff, Lt Gen Jack Agonza Bakasumba. According to the army, the exercise will target holders of the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE), with preference given to applicants who studied science subjects.

In a letter dated 22 May 2026, Lt Gen Bakasumba stated that the UPDF intends to enlist 10,200 new personnel from across the country through a general recruitment exercise.

Online applications will be accepted from 10 June to 24 July 2026. District and city authorities will then compile and publish lists of shortlisted candidates on official notice boards and the UPDF website between 1 July and 14 July.

Successful applicants will then proceed to the physical stage of the recruitment exercise, which is scheduled to begin on 20 July 2026 at designated recruitment centres nationwide. Recruitment teams will carry out screening and final selection during this phase.

Additional details about the recruitment exercise of the 102,000 personnel will be communicated during the briefing at the Uganda Media Centre, as confirmed by the Directorate of Defence Public Information (DDPI). Read here

UPDF officials have also indicated that new measures have been introduced to strengthen transparency and reduce corruption during the recruitment process.

The recruitment exercise comes at a time when interest in military careers is growing, partly due to recent salary enhancements approved for lower-ranking soldiers. Under the revised pay structure, a Private is expected to earn UGX 828,426 per month, up from UGX 650,000, while a Corporal will earn UGX 1.2 million.

As applications open across the country, the recruitment exercise is likely to spark a familiar debate: are most Ugandans joining the army out of a commitment to national service, or has unemployment made military careers one of the few viable paths to a stable income?