Few people have applied for probation police constable slots in the Uganda Police Force in Masindi and Buliisa Districts.
Uganda Police currently wants 5,000 recruits from across the country into its force to bolster its personnel.
Speaking to journalists at the recruitment exercise in Masindi yesterday, the Commissioner of Police, Eng James Opora, said out of the 98 shortlisted applicants only 77 turned up in Masindi.
In Buliisa, all the nine shortlisted applicants turned up for the recruitment exercise but the number was less than 14 set for the district quota.
The police officer who is heading the recruitment exercise in Masindi, Buliisa, Kiryandongo, Nakasongola, Nakaseke and Luwero districts suspects the low turn up could have been caused by inadequate mobilisation.
However, he said the shortlisted applicants who did not turn up for the recruitment exercise have been given a chance to follow up the team to Kiryandongo today so they can be considered to join the force.
Mr Opora disclosed that due to the low turn up in some districts in the region, the recruitment team will take more than the number for the slots allocated to each district so that the regional police leadership finds ways of covering the shortfall.
The police officer added that the team will recommend to the national police headquarters to give Masindi district special consideration in addition to its quota set at 41 by recruiting more constables because it hosts a police training school.
The 77 applicants who turned up for the recruitment exercise in Masindi were subjected to screening and interviews including document verification, physical fitness, oral and written interviews and medical test.
Mr Opora said one applicant was disqualified and arrested after presenting a forged national identity card while another was disqualified on medical grounds and sent for treatment after presenting high body temperature.
The Commissioner of Police said after the recruitment exercise, the results will be sent to the national police headquarters from where a final selection will be conducted before sending lists of successful applicants to the respective district police headquarters two weeks later.
Mr Opora added that successful applicants will be taken and put in regional quarantine centres for some time to establish their Covid-19 status before being taken to the police training school.
