Zombo youth flood police recruitment centres amid rising joblessness

Zombo: In a stark illustration of the deepening youth unemployment crisis, hundreds of job seekers, ranging from Primary Seven (P.7) leavers to university graduates, are thronging recruitment centres across Zombo District to apply for the Uganda Police Force’s (UPF) Special Police Constable (SPC) positions, seen by many as the only viable employment opportunity available.

The UPF recently announced a nationwide drive to recruit 100,000 Election SPCs, who will support security operations during the January 2026 general elections. The temporary contract offers a monthly stipend of UGX 469,000 for a three-month engagement.

In Zombo District, the recruitment exercise has triggered an unprecedented surge in applications, with long queues forming at Paidha Central Police Station, GISO offices, LCIII chairpersons’ residences, and National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) offices.

Many applicants possess qualifications far exceeding the minimum requirement of a Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) certificate including diploma and degree holders in education, business administration, information technology, and social sciences.

“I graduated two years ago with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration but have never secured stable employment,” said Jane Aluma, 27, from Paidha Town.

Peter Okech (pseudonym), a diploma holder in Secondary Education unemployed for nearly three years, added: “This is the first real opportunity to support myself and my family.”

The recruitment frenzy has also created a boom in local business, with secretarial bureaus overwhelmed by demand for passport photos, photocopies, and document certification services.

Local leaders have renewed calls for industrial investment and private-sector job creation to provide sustainable employment opportunities for Zombo’s youth who make up the majority of the district’s over 300,000 residents.

Speaking during the Alur Kingdom coordination meeting held Tuesday at Skylux Garden, Paidha, Zombo District Police Commander SP Job Mutegeki urged young people to seize the opportunity.

“We need 800 or more youths from Zombo to take part in this exercise,” Mutegeki said, emphasizing the SPC role’s contribution to election security and community policing.

Recruitment Details

Eligibility Criteria:

• Ugandan citizen with a National ID
• Aged 18 years and above
• Holder of a PLE certificate
• Physically fit with a clean criminal record
• Must be a registered voter in the district
• Not serving in any security agency
• Women are strongly encouraged to apply

Application Requirements:

• Handwritten application letter addressed to the Inspector General of Police (IGP)
• Photocopies of academic documents and National ID
• One recent passport photo
• Recommendation letters from LC1, LCIII, and GISO

Submission Deadline:

Applications must be submitted in person to District or Divisional Police Headquarters by November 1, 2025.
According to police, shortlisting will be followed by interviews, and any form of impersonation or use of forged documents will lead to arrest and prosecution. Successful applicants will undergo training and later be deployed locally for the three-month election security assignment.

Do you have an advertisement or article you want to publish? Mail us at theugreports@gmail.com or WhatsApp +256757022363.