Thirteen candidates have been arrested in Kagadi District for presenting fake academic documents during the ongoing Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) recruitment exercise. The arrests mark the highest number of document-related offenses recorded in the Bunyoro sub-region since the recruitment began earlier this month.
The suspects—11 males and 2 females—submitted forged Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results, fake Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) documents, counterfeit Senior Four testimonials, and falsified school IDs.
Kagadi Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Nanshemeza Caroline expressed deep concern over the incident, urging the public to embrace Uganda’s free education programs.
“Presenting fake academic documents is a crime,” she said. “Why resort to forgery when the government provides free education at both primary and secondary levels? Let’s ensure our children benefit from these opportunities.”
Captain Wilson Kato Agaba, Public Information Officer for UPDF Recruitment Team 5, confirmed that all suspects have been handed over to police for further investigation. He warned other candidates against attempting similar fraud.
“Our screening team is professional and thorough. Forged documents will be detected, and offenders will be arrested,” Capt. Agaba cautioned.
Out of 88 shortlisted candidates, 78 reported to the recruitment center in Kagadi. Thirteen were disqualified for forgery, two for being overage, and two for medical reasons. A total of 61 candidates were successfully cleared, including four females.
Recruitment Team 5 is expected to continue the exercise in Kibaale District later this week, concluding in Kakumiro District.
