BY PPU REPORTER
President Yoweri Museveni and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, passed out 6239 Local Defense Unit (LDU) trainees at Kaweweta Training School in Nakaseke District at the end of the trainees’ 4month training. 485 trainees are women.
The trainees comprised voluntary men and women from the districts of Wakiso, Kampala and Mukono who underwent basic military skills, among others.
The President who was impressed by the skills exhibited by the trainees, said that nobody would destabilize the peace of Uganda as Ugandans have now seen that the country has the capacity to protect itself and defend its peace.
“This is a robust program. We used to focus a lot on the villages and then some people started attacking the towns that have cars and too many people who are very busy. They started killing sheikhs. This was mainly by the ADF in Congo. Joan Kagezi was killed because she refused to be bribed by the ADF in matters of prosecution. Abiriga and Kaweesi were also killed and then people on social media began saying Uganda was insecure. I decided to mobilize the youth to come and defend their country. Some people are not happy that Uganda is growing. Some of these people will die of blood pressure because Uganda is still growing,” he said.
The President told the LDUs that they are going to be paid because they are on active duty and will also be paid for the last four months of training since some of them are the breadwinners of their homes. He also added that Government is ready to support them in their businesses once they are back in the Reserve Force.
He thanked the parents of the trainees for allowing their children to participate in the defence of the country and urged the new recruits to be disciplined and desist from taking drugs and alcohol.
“ I do not want you to go and eat ‘Mairungi’. I am strong because I do not take alcohol. I have strength to only do useful things. Now that you are disciplined, talk to your fellow youths to stop living reckless lives and avoid HIV,” he advised.
The President commended the role of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) and the Uganda Police for working tirelessly to fight crime in Uganda. He directed the Inspector General of Police, Martin Okoth Ochola and his Deputy Maj. Gen. Steven Sabiiti Muzeeyi, to give reports about the criminals they have arrested to the country.
“Sabiiti and Ochola should get time and give a report on the number of criminals. We have got even those who were threatening investors,” he said.
The Chief of the Defense Forces, Gen. David Muhoozi thanked the President for his guidance in creating LDUs to further curb down crime in the country.
President Museveni and Gen. David Muhoozi gave out awards to the best trainees namely Sekiziyivu Swaleh (overall best performer), Ocheng Denis (best range shooter) and Namukisa Christine (best female trainee.)
