Ugandan leader Yoweri Museveni on Tuesday threatened to have the incompetent army and police officers arrested and charged in court.
While delivering his New Year message, Museveni said there are many Ugandans who can still perform the job.
Uganda is currently recruiting hundreds to the military in a bid to strengthen its forces within the region.
"I have made it clear that the youth that wants to join the Police or the Army are in tens of thousands. Therefore, those rotten potatoes in the Police will not waste our time," he said.
"Anybody who does not do his duty will be arrested, charged, sentenced and dismissed from the Police and promptly replaced by those that are ready to work. Crime will be defeated. That is what I told you and that is what will happen," added Museveni.
Uganda has at least 2,600 soldiers in Somalia and an additional 600 in Southern Sudan for peacekeeping mission.
A number of youths have been lamenting due to high unemployment rates in Uganda, a move that Museveni said he's keen to handle.
Separately, Museveni also held talks with former Prime Minister and his political nemesis Amama Mbabazi.
"With former Prime Minister John Patrick Amama Mbabazi at the farm in Kisozi," he tweeted without giving details of their meeting.