The government has announced plans to take Senior Six vacists from across Uganda through patriotism and ideological training at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi.
The programme is expected to start this year, with National Secretariat for Patriotism Corps (NSPC) Commissioner Hellen Seku revealing that the school leavers could spend approximately six months at the institute.
Seku said the programme had been agreed upon with President Yoweri Museveni as part of efforts to strengthen patriotism, discipline and a sense of national responsibility among young Ugandans.
The training is expected to cover a range of areas, including ideological and patriotism sessions, military-style drills and parades, Uganda’s political history, national identity, Pan-Africanism, citizenship, integrity, entrepreneurship and other aspects of civic education.
The renewed programme is part of the government’s broader patriotism and ideological training initiatives previously conducted at Kyankwanzi for different groups, including students, security personnel and other categories of Ugandans.
However, the announcement has already generated mixed reactions online, with some Ugandans questioning how the programme will be managed given the large number of Senior Six school leavers across the country.
Questions have also been raised about accommodation and coordination at NALI, as well as how thousands of vacists would be organised during the proposed six-month period.
So far, the government has not released comprehensive implementation details, including the exact reporting dates, the proposed cohort system or whether participation will be compulsory for every Senior Six leaver.
All Senior Six vacists across Uganda will this year undergo patriotism and ideological training at the National Leadership Institute, Kyankwanzi, under a revived government programme aimed at promoting discipline, patriotism, national identity and responsibility among young people. #OpenGovUg
— Government of Uganda (@GovUganda) October 5, 2026
