The Local Defence Unit personnel have kicked off a refresher course after being recalled by the UPDF to train in human rights and law enforcement.
The training was launched on Monday by Deputy Commander Land Forces, Maj Gen Sam Kavuma, starting with personnel at Lubaga battalion.
The training whose launch happened on Monday will take place at the First Division headquarters in Kakiri Barracks where all the personnel of the 10 Battalions of the LDUs operating in Kampala Metropolitan Policing (KMP) Area will undergo weeks of the refresher course.
Speaking to the LDUs, Maj.Gen.Kavuma applauded them for reversing the undesirable security situation in the greater Kampala region including robberies, kidnaps and attacks on factories among others.
“Records show that the LDUs have done great work in KMP. In the last six months alone, over five riffles have been recovered by the force, 02 pistols, 04 toy pistols, a number of walkie talkies, several rounds of ammunitions of different caliber and other assortment of military stores. These could have been used to gravely destabilize the security of the people,” Kavuma said.
He noted that four cars, 15 stolen motorcycles and other household and office items have been recovered with the help of the LDU personnel in the past one year.
“To maintain this positive trend achieved, the General said that when a battalion of the LDUs are under the refresher training, the rest will continue patrolling,” he said.
According to the deputy commander Land Forces, despite the gains by Local Defence Unit personnel, there are some bad apples among the group.
“Nevertheless, over 99% of the LDUs are doing a great job. The few who fell short of the operational standards have been charged in the court as per the laws.”
“The army you joined a year or months ago has got a history. The NRA/UPDF journey is very long and full of obstacles but we have been successful not by accident but because of our pro-people ideology. It is important that we remind ourselves of this important journey and what helped us reach this far.”
He counseled the militants to watch each other’s back and ensure none strays away from the right NRA historical journey of symbiosis with the people.
Maj.Gen.Kavuma warned the personnel that discipline has been the first gear in the close to the 40 years’ drive of the NRA/UPDF journey.
“In order to stay with us you must observe conscious discipline. There is no short cut,” he said.
He urged the trainees to take the training seriously so as to enhance on their professional journey in line with the acceptable ideology of the NRA/UPDF.
Gen Kavuma stressed that all special operations are backed by the mission training and so the current training is a routine in the UPDF.
“This training was overdue but we first had to respond to an emergency situation of COVID-19,” he said.
The training will be conducted by the UPDF and Uganda Police Force instructors and will include political education, civil policing, law and the role of media in military operations among others.
The opening ceremony was also attended by Maj Gen Sam Kawagga the Commander of infantry Division and other senior UPDF officers.
The development comes on the backdrop of dissenting voices from the members of the public in regards the manner in which LDUs carry out operations.
They have been accused of brutality and the latest was an incident Mityana LC5 chairperson, Joseph Luzige was assaulted by the militants while implementing the presidential directives on Coronavirus.
