UPDF to retire 1,500 more soldiers

The Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) will send home the third batch of retirees from the military in about two weeks' time.

According to the army, the officers and militants of UPDF, who have been allowed to retire from the forces, are currently undergoing training at Jinja Military Garrison to prepare them for retirement.

The UPDF retired 3,000 senior officers and soldiers in 2014 and 2015. The army plans to continue retiring soldiers each financial year.

Lt. Gen. Charles Angina, the deputy Chief of Defence Forces, addressed the retirees during ongoing training in Jinja recently.

He stated that the soldiers' careers evolves into a number of stages, including recruitment, training and retraining, deployment and redeployment, appointments, transfers and placements, retirement and discharge and recall into service when necessary.

"Therefore, as you go to your respective homes, I urge you to properly invest your financial emoluments such that productivity multiplies and subsequently increase on a resource base. We agree that retirement is one of those inevitable stages in life," Angina stated.

He told the retirees that their service has tremendously contributed to the transformation of Uganda, assuring them that UPDF will remain their ‘good parent'. Angina urged the retirees to be ambassadors of UPDF in their respective communities.

He explained that the training was organized to enable the retirees share experiences, ides and knowledge so that they can make meaningful decisions in retirement.

"We are hopeful that you picked lessons from the training and they will be meaningful to you in your communities," Angina added.