Agency
Examination malpractice continues to taint Uganda’s education system, resurfacing on the first day of the 2025 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).
Despite heightened security and years of efforts to curb the vice, several cases of cheating were recorded across the country as more than 800,000 pupils began their final primary exams.
According to the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), at least seven major cases were confirmed on the first day, involving bribery, impersonation, and smuggling of unauthorized materials.
UNEB said several suspects—including teachers, invigilators, and school directors—were arrested in operations conducted jointly with the police.
The board added that some suspects were arrested while others are still on the run.
In Kampala, four people were arrested at Hillside Junior School, Kisugu, after photocopied Social Studies answers were found inside an examination room.
Candidates from Kisugu Islamic School, who were also sitting at the centre, reportedly confessed to receiving help during the morning Mathematics paper.
The arrested suspects included a scout, the chief invigilator, and two invigilators.
In Kaliro District, UNEB detained seven people, including the head teacher of Budini Boys Primary School, after pupils admitted to receiving assistance during the Mathematics paper.
A similar incident occurred in Bundibugyo District, where UNEB operatives uncovered a scheme at Busalu Primary School.
Teachers posing as cooks and cleaners had hidden answer sheets inside sanitary pads in the toilets. The suspects fled when security officers intervened.
In Lira District, the director of Caren Junior School was arrested for allegedly attempting to bribe invigilators and scouts to permit external assistance for candidates.
In Kumi District, the chief invigilator of Kumi Primary School was detained for photocopying Mathematics and Social Studies papers and sharing them with teachers.
In Iganda district, Abdul Mudooko, a teacher at Ibun Buz Primary School in Bugabwe Cell, Nakigo Sub-County, is in police custody for his alleged involvement in examination malpractice.
Police say Mudooko circulated the PLE papers on social media platforms, including WhatsApp, to several school heads before the exams began.
Bribery remains widespread in Uganda’s examination system due to the sharp contrast between official pay and illegal rewards.
UNEB pays invigilators about 40,000 shillings, yet some schools offer millions to facilitate cheating.
The lure of quick money, coupled with low pay, pressure for good grades, and weak supervision, continues to drive the vice.
Schools view strong results as key to reputation and enrollment, while poor performance attracts stigma and political pressure.
Education experts have renewed calls to replace the national PLE with a continuous assessment system, arguing that the current high-stakes exams create unnecessary pressure on learners and teachers, fueling malpractice.
Meanwhile, distribution of examination papers improved across most parts of the country on the second day of the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), but schools in flood and landslide affected areas continued to face major challenges.
In contrast, schools in flood- and landslide-affected districts such as Otuke remained cut off as roads and bridges were washed away.
Examination materials reached some centers late due to the poor road network.
In Otuke, several schools faced further setbacks. At Aliwang Primary School, the number of delivered papers was less than the number of registered candidates.
District Education Officer Lucy Aceng said they resolved the issue by borrowing extra papers from a nearby school that had received more than its allocation.
Meanwhile, the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) exams are in their final week, with candidates sitting for Art and Food and Nutrition in the morning, and three elective papers in the evening, including Latin Comprehension and Writing, Uganda Sign Language, and Art marking (Production).
