Norbert Mao proposes mandatory two-year army service for all secondary graduates

• Hon Norbert Mao proposes a mandatory two-year army service for all secondary school graduates in Uganda.

• Graduates would join the reserve force and be ready for refresher courses in case of national threats.

• Mao highlighted that modern warfare relies on technology rather than physical strength or traditional weapons.

The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hon Norbert Mao, has called for all secondary school graduates in Uganda to enlist in the army for two years before joining university.

Addressing the media, Mao said this should become a national policy, noting that graduates would join the reserve force, ready to defend the country in times of war.

“It should be made a national policy that every Ugandan who has completed secondary education enlists in the army for two years before proceeding to university. These individuals can then be placed in the reserve army. In case of any attack on Uganda, they would undergo a refresher course and then be sent to the frontline to protect the country,” Mao said.

He emphasized that defending the nation is the responsibility of every Ugandan, adding that many citizens are unaware of the country’s defense affairs.

Mao also pointed out that modern warfare is no longer based solely on physical strength, noting that technology has transformed the battlefield.