The 2026 UPDF recruitment drive in the Lango sub-region was concluded with a total of 104 candidates qualifying from Oyam district.

Among those selected, 14 are female and 90 are male. However, the rigorous vetting process saw a large number of applicants turned away across the district, as the official team maintained strict adherence to medical and academic requirements.

Many candidates were disqualified due to medical unfitness, while others lacked essential academic documents such as Primary Leaving Examination transcripts and Senior Four certificates, both of which were mandatory at the recruitment center.

Addressing journalists on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at Anyeke Primary School, Major Mirriam Apio Okello from the Special Forces Command (SFC) and one of the top officials overseeing the UPDF requirements in Northern Uganda, alongside the 5th Deputy Division Commander, Colonel Gai Fraser Mpadwa—stated that the exercise went well despite some challenges.

Also read: Why a young man who participated in UPDF road run pleaded to be allowed to return home

She noted that several impersonators were apprehended during the process and handed over to the police for further action.

Major Apio further cited that on the final day of recruitment in Oyam district, five people were arrested and handed over to the police, including one female and four male candidates.

She explained that most disqualifications were based on medical grounds and physical fitness, while others were due to missing required documents.

“A candidate who arrived at the recruitment center without a Primary Leaving Examination script was a major challenge. However, we were somewhat considerate with those who had mismatches in their date of birth and month, and we accepted them,” she added.

Additionally, Major Apio revealed that across the entire Northern region, syphilis and hepatitis were the most common diseases found among applicants, even more prevalent than HIV/AIDS.

She urged parents to always sensitise their children about the dangers of other diseases, not just HIV. She also appealed to those who successfully passed the recruitment process to avoid sexual relationships, as they would be reporting to their respective training schools in three days, where another medical check-up would be conducted upon arrival.

According to Colonel Gai Fraser, the biggest challenge remained the lack of proper academic documentation among applicants.

He reiterated that many candidates presented mismatched information, but the team exercised leniency on minor discrepancies such as birth date and month variations.

He also confirmed that across Northern Uganda, a total of 1,116 selected applicants have successfully passed all the recruitment processes.

The UPDF 2026 general recruitment exercise is now in its final phase, with physical recruitment having taken place nationwide from August 10 to 22, targeting more than 10,000 regular and professional recruits.

This followed online applications conducted from June 10 to 24 and the publication of shortlisted candidates in July.