By Ebi Kesiena
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has instructed the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) leadership to offer free education from Primary to Secondary to direct children of soldiers to reduce their burden.
While speaking at the 12th Tarehe Sita annual thanksgiving breakfast on Saturday, Museveni noted that the concept of free education for children of soldiers, spouses engaging themselves in money-making activities sponsored by the army, the idea of Wazelendo Sacco and the issue of wives using the barracks land for cultivation has been his wish since 1986.
“I and other freedom fighters were not paid for 17 years. The only thing we would get was food and clothes, and when we started getting payment, still it was small. I told the fighters that although we are getting little money, we can run institutional schools which will provide free education for children of soldiers in government/army-run primary and secondary schools,” he said.
