By KT Reporter
As Uganda’s Senior One selection and placement process gets underway, educationists are calling on the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) to prioritise and conclude investigations into suspected cases of examination malpractice before finalising placements.
The plea comes amid concerns that delayed resolutions could unfairly disadvantage cleared learners whose results remain withheld pending hearings, effectively barring them from competing for spots in government and government-aided secondary schools during the ongoing national exercise.
Gonzaga Kaswarra, an education consultant, said a major concern is the Board’s move away from publicly disclosing the number of candidates whose results are withheld pending investigations. He described the practice as sweeping legitimate issues “under the carpet,” risking harm to innocent learners even after they are cleared.
“UNEB has increasingly avoided announcing specific figures for withheld results during major releases. In previous years, exact numbers, often involving thousands of candidates, were shared with district breakdowns and explanations of irregularities,” he said.
He added that placement often occurs before cases are resolved, disadvantaging learners especially those eventually exonerated. By the time they clear the queries, the national placement window has usually closed, leaving them sidelined despite strong academic merit.
Prof. Wilson Kasule of Kyambogo University also weighed in, saying UNEB must speed up hearings and resolution of individual cases to protect affected learners. “If possible, UNEB should conclude investigations before the selection exercise,” he said.
Prof. Kasule added that if UNEB cannot complete the investigations in time, it should, in coordination with the Ministry of Education and Sports, notify all government and government-aided school headteachers to be ready to admit all cleared, qualifying students to schools of their choice.
Mary Frances Atima, acting permanent secretary at the Ministry of Education, urged schools to prepare for the admission of students whose results were initially withheld. She advised headteachers to reserve slots for these learners, ensuring they have the opportunity to join schools of their choice once cleared.
Atima emphasized that planning for such admissions in advance is critical to upholding fairness and ensuring that all eligible students have the opportunity to join schools of their choice, even if their cases are resolved after the main selection process.
UNEB’s release of the 2025 PLE results highlighted a troubling rise in malpractice, particularly in districts such as Kisoro, Kampala, Mukono, Namutumba, Kassanda, Buyende, and Kaliro.
Executive Director Dan Odongo described how school directors and headteachers allegedly bribed or threatened invigilators and scouts to allow direct assistance to candidates in examination rooms.
In some cases, examination envelopes were illegally opened with compromised security, and networks of schools reportedly shared materials via WhatsApp groups.
In line with Section 5(2)(b) of the UNEB Act, the Board withheld results for affected candidates pending investigations. Where prima facie evidence exists, the Examinations Security Committee (a tribunal) conducts hearings to give candidates a fair opportunity to respond before final decisions are made. This can range from cancellation of results to exoneration.
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