Ugandans over the age of 18 years will have to offer compulsory one year national service before employment according to a new National Graduate Service Bill 2016, reports the Daily Monitor.
The legislation looks to establish a National Graduate Service Scheme which will see graduates serving for a year in the military, rural development, education, health, agriculture, cooperatives and youth programmes or local government before venturing into employment. The services can be in both public and private sector.
Clause 8 of the Bill states that “any person who has not commenced or completed his period of national service shall not obtain employment outside the scheme, be employed by any other person outside the scheme, be engaged in any other employment outside the scheme, whether self-employed or otherwise, without prior permission, in writing, of the Secretariat.” according to the report.
The law will also apply to Uganda graduates who will pursue tertiary level education outside Uganda, the one year National service will still be applicable before engaging in any venture.
Uganda’s Finance Ministry will determine the stipend that will be awarded in the public sector and the Secretariat to make the payments for those in the private sector.
The National Service Secretariat can exempt any person whom the scheme applies to from compliance with provisions of the Act, or postpone the date which the person will be first engaged under the scheme.
The graduates will undergo domestic capacity building in all ministries, departments and agencies that get the government contracts.
“Entities like ministries, departments and private-sector partnerships under the scheme will be required to employ 90 per cent Ugandan workforce. Supporters of the Bill say it will borrow lessons from countries like Ghana, Nigeria and India where National Service Schemes are in place.” Says the report by Daily Monitor
Those who fail to report 3 months after being posted or fail to report for the same period of time during the tenure will be sanctioned. Only National Service candidates will be automatically exempted or graduates that are over 40 years.
