The parliamentarians are pushing for a bill that will make it a must for every graduate to deliver a free national one-year service to the nation after their graduation.
According to the draft bill, any one who does not deliver the free service shall not be liable to get employment within Uganda.
The move is being pushed by Bunya County MP Waira Majegere through the National Graduate Service Bill 2016 which makes it mandatory for every adult Ugandan of 18 years and above to offer compulsory one-year national service before being considered for any employment.
Parliament late Tuesday evening granted Mr Majegere leave to prepare the piece of legislation to establish a National Graduate Service Scheme where graduates from institutions of higher learning will be compelled to serve for a year in the military, rural development, education, health or local government before venturing into employment.
Other sectors the proposed national service law will oblige Ugandans to serve in will include agriculture, cooperatives and youth programmes. The scheme will apply across both public and private sectors.
Of particular interest will be Clause 8 of the Bill, which 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.”
Graduates who complete their higher education from outside Uganda shall also be compelled to undertake the one-year National Service upon return before engaging in any money-making venture.
The National Service Secretariat can, however, 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. Graduates will also get stipend from the National service Commission and those coming from outside Uganda will have to fist seek national service to be able to get employment in Uganda.
For graduates employed in the public or public-private sectors, the concerned entity shall pay the stipend allowance while those in the private sector shall be paid by the Secretariat.
As a reward for national service, for graduates who successfully complete their one-year obligation and are later engaged in the Public Service, their period of national service shall count towards any probationary period to be served.
Making a case to be granted leave, Mr Majegere argued that the National Service will enhance domestic capacity building where all ministries, departments and agencies that get government contracts shall be obliged to take on the graduate students.
“There is a general view of the fact that education as it is imparted in schools, colleges and universities, leaves something to be desired and it is necessary to supplement it with programmes which would arouse interest and the social and economic reconstruction of the country,” Mr Majegere argued.
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.
For example in Ghana, every graduate must serve the government for atleast two years before getting a formal employment immediately after graduation.
Will this move be a good course to tackle unemployment or give graduates one year experience as it is always required for by most employers?
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