Lira City East RCC urges applicants to harmonize academic documents before recruitment

18 August 2026, 8:33 pm

By Baker Okello

The Deputy Resident City Commissioner (RCC) for Lira City East Division, Stephen Odongo, has advised individuals with discrepancies in their academic documents to seek legal harmonization to avoid missing employment and recruitment opportunities.

Odongo said applicants with variations in names, dates of birth or spelling across their academic documents and National Identification records should obtain legal verification through the Chief Magistrate’s Court.

Speaking to our reporter, Odongo, who represented the Lira City RCC Lawrence Emmy Egole during the two-day Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) recruitment exercise in Lira City, said several applicants missed out because of inconsistencies in their documents.

He explained that an affidavit verifying names, sworn before a magistrate or Commissioner for Oaths can serve as official evidence that different names or variations in personal details belong to the same individual.

Odongo said that, apart from medical conditions, several candidates were disqualified during the recruitment exercise due to discrepancies in their documents.

These included differences in dates of birth between academic certificates and National Identification Number (NIN) records, failure to present original academic documents, suspected forgery or impersonation, and failure to meet the required age and height limits.

He added that other applicants were eliminated after failing to meet the strict medical, physical and administrative requirements set for recruitment.

At least 65 recruits from Lira City and Lira District were successfully selected to join the UPDF as regular and professional entrants.