By Gaaki Kigambo & Kabona Esiara
KAMPALA - At least 200 Ugandan youths on Saturday signed up for security work in Iraq and at American installations worldwide.
The Ugandans who go to Iraq will be deployed to guard public and private installations in the war-ravaged country where the United States forces continue to battle local insurgents.
A local law firm, Hall & Partners, is working in collaboration with a local security firm, Aktar Security Services, on the recruitment exercise, which is targeting 10,000 people in three years.
Mr Bob Kasango, a lawyer with Hall & Partners, said the firm was hired by the World Wide Special Operations (WWSO), who work for and closely with the US government and other international organisations like the World Bank, Coca Cola, and Microsoft Corporation to provide security.
Kasango said not all the recruits will be employed in in Iraq.
“They will work in any part of the world where America has installations. Iraq is just one of them,” he said.
The recruitment exercise has got clearance from the US State Department, State House in Kampala, the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, sources said.
The Minister of Internal Affairs, Dr Ruhakana Rugunda, said yesterday, “I’m aware that there is a programme of equipping Ugandans with capacity to do guard duties locally in Uganda and if necessary abroad, but it is strictly a private initiative.”
He said the exercise was “strictly voluntary”.
But Samia Bugwe MP Aggrey Awori condemned the exercise.
“It is tragic for the Uganda government to allow its citizens to be recruited as mercenaries. It is not true that they are only going to provide guard services. How do you provide only guard services in a country like Iraq? These people will definitely shoot back when they are shot at,” Awori said.
But Kasango denied the Ugandans would work as combat personnel.
“No single Ugandans is going to manage roadblocks. They are going to be involved in non-combatant security. They may be at banks and at airports checking bags. Some are going to be trained in computing as they will be entering data.
Others will be trained as motor vehicle mechanics and others will do secretarial work,” he said.
Sources said Uganda had been targeted because of its close working relations with the US government and because it was one of the African countries that supported the American-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Kasango said other countries had also been targeted to provide people needed for various jobs at American installations across the world. In Uganda the local firms conducting the exercise are targeting able-bodied people with high education qualifications. Military experience is an added advantage, sources said.
The State Department has reportedly cleared private firms in different countries of the world to source employees for mostly security work at US installations because Americans are shunning the lucrative, but risky jobs.
Comments
Der friend
HI l hop ur fine
l'm boy aged is 23 years old from Dar es sa laam tanzani
so l want to atend in this programe Ugandan youths on Saturday signed up for security work in Iraq and at American installations worldwide.
please help that information
ur friend ruttab
ABOUT 700 university graduates, UPDF veterans and senior six leavers yesterday started preliminary training ahead of their deployment to the United States and Iraq later this month.
The Manager of Askar Security Services, Captain Jerome Ndiho, said the security firm would recruit about 3,000 people in the next three months.
The first batch of the recruits is expected to leave next week.
“We were contacted by our international partners, Kroll Associates in Europe and Middle East and Coin security Group in South Africa to recruit Ugandans who can work in any part of the world after initial training,” he said.
“Iraq is just one of the places where these people will be deployed. They will undergo training but it won’t be of a military nature,” he said.
The recruits must be HIV negative and will earn between $1,000-2,000 per month, sources said.
The managing director of Askar, Kellen Kayonga, yesterday said, “The people who approached us were from the US and the American Embassy is aware of this. They have permission from the ministry of foreign and internal affairs.”
He said the recruits would not only be deployed in Iraq but to other countries.
A recruit said they were told that Kroll was hired by the American government to recruit people.
Hello,
I was wondering when the next exercise of recruiting people is on. I am a university graduate and would like to join in. I really enjoy doing voluntary work.
Iwoud also like to join the firm
Hello, am a univesity student in my second year at Makerere .Taking Social Sciences i would like to work with a voluntary organisation in IRAQ , this is part of my profession as a Social worker
Instead of going to Iraq, finish your studies and come to UK. There is an acute need for qualified social workers here and you are likely to get a job and work permit. Forget about Iraq and let the Americans to deal with what they've done there.
Dana
i want to help so that you take me in Iraq iam student of muk
I would like to be considered for the voluntary opportunity based in any country I will be placed . I a graduate from Makerere University with Social Admnistration and psychology as my subjects. Iam curently writing my final dissertation fro the award of a master's degree in Ethics and public Management .
I look forward to be considered fro this opportunity
I would like to be considered for the voluntary opportunity based in any country I will be placed . I a graduate from Makerere University with Social Admnistration and psychology as my subjects. Iam curently writing my final dissertation fro the award of a master's degree in Ethics and public Management .
I look forward to be considered fro this opportunity
I am a Zimbabwean with extensive experience in social work l am interested to here more about this program and whether you can take people who are not fron Uganda
you a ware me of the next recruitement.iam interested in joining.at moment a student of makerere doing BA[SS]
Hullo hope u are fine my name is Bossa so please if you are taking youths to work in Iraq arethey first going to USA for more training or you you take them straight to Iraq please clarify on that .we are worried ugandans who would like to serve in the programe.God bless Uganda.
hi hope u are fine are u going to recruite people from uganda only or even other countries am in uganda as per now have a nice stay .but please increase on the salary of those peole going to work abroad as security men and ladies.
Would like to be recruited in the program as a vehicle auto techinician with vast exeperience of 20 yrs
Hello,
It's cool with you people,I'm a muk student BA.Educ. I w'd like to be recruited in those people travelling to Iraq.Wish you the best.
PLEASE FOR ANY UGANDAN EXPECTING A VERY GOOD CHANGE IN LIFE JUST GO AND WORK IN IRAQ. THOSE WHO DISCOUGE YOU ARE SELFISH AND NOT HELPFULL. WE HAVE LOST HOPE IN UGANDA AS YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN EVERY THING IS EXPENSIVE AND MONEY IS ALWAYS VERY HARD TO GET. THE JOBS ARE FOR PARTICULAR PEOPLE AND A SON OF A COMMON MAN WILL ALWAYS LEAVE IN ACUTE POVERTY. I FOR ONE AM ON THE WAY TO IRAQ WHETHER THERE IS DEATH OR NOT I WILL GO. LIKE IN THE BIBLE WHERE TWO LEPARDS DECIDED ONE DAY IS HOW AM ALSO DECIDING.
iam a ugandan interested in working in Iraq as asocial worker iam a diploma holder.
Hello,
It's cool with you people,I'm UICT student . I w'd like to be recruited in those people travelling to Iraq.Wish you the best.And where is your offices in uganda.
THANKS FOR THE ON GOING EXERCISE.
I AM A UGANDAN I WOULOD LIKE TO BE HELPED IN THE ON GOING EXERCISE ,BECAUSE ME I HERE PEOPLE FLOODING TO IRAQ BUT ME I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO PASS.
I HAVE MY PASSPORT STILL VALID 9YRS FORM KNOW THANK MAY THE LORD GOD HELP YOU
GREETINGS FROM ME TRY ME ATLEAST I BECOME RECRUITED THANK YOU
yah it's good
I discourage the program coz we may loose out young ugandans who may have got involved in some developmental programs in the country
hullo,is the recruitment still going on i interested.what is the procedure? please reply
Are you still recruiting? if so I would like to know the location of this office which are recruiting