UPDF set to absorb Ugandans repatriated from South Africa

The Uganda Peoples' Defence Forces (UPDF) will soon start recruiting some Ugandans recently repatriated from South Africa.

Gender, Labour and Social Development minister Lt Gen Henry Tumukunde announced Wednesday that he will discuss the proposal with Chief of Defence Forces Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba.

Tumukunde made the remarks during a visit to the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi, where more than 1,000 returnees have been undergoing orientation, counselling and reintegration after fleeing xenophobic violence in South Africa.

The minister said many of the returnees possess skills that could benefit both the military and the wider economy.

“Many of them we've heard are drivers and I think the army wouldn't mind having professional drivers. So we shall discuss with Gen Kainerugaba who has been very handy in bringing them back to see if we can absorb them straight because they have been doing Uber and that's for very skilled drivers,” Tumukunde said.

He said the returnees also include plumbers, assemblers, miners, dog handlers and other skilled professionals.

“This is a big pool of professionals ranging from plumbers, assemblers, dog handlers, miners, etc. I feel very satisfied and happy that what we deemed initially as a bad thing is returning many people back to Uganda with such skills,” he added.

Tumukunde said he had initially feared the returnees would struggle to readjust after years abroad but was impressed by what he found during the orientation programme.

“I came here worried that we are going to have people who are going to disrupt our society but I am extremely impressed and we need to be receptive towards their return,” he said.

The government has so far repatriated 1,102 Ugandans from South Africa under the first phase of a voluntary evacuation programme launched after xenophobic attacks left several African migrants dead, including at least three Ugandans. Six chartered evacuation flights brought the returnees home, with the final aircraft landing at Entebbe International Airport on July 10 carrying 219

After arriving in Uganda, the returnees were taken to NALI in Kyankwanzi instead of returning directly to their homes. There, they have been receiving psychosocial counselling, trauma support and civic education to help them recover from their experiences and prepare for reintegration.

Officials have also trained them in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, agriculture and government wealth creation programmes such as the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyooga.

Government agencies have also taken services to the institute to ease the transition. The National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) has been registering returnees for national identity cards, while the Uganda Registration Services Bureau has trained them in business registration, enterprise development and intellectual property protection to encourage self-employment.

The orientation programme is expected to conclude with the returnees reuniting with their families and communities, equipped with documentation, counselling and skills intended to help them rebuild their lives in Uganda.