As Senior Four candidates commence their second week of the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) Examinations, the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has reported a number of arrests conducted during the first week of the examinations.
Among those arrested are two suspects identified as Moses Ejagu and Denis Jjuuko of St. Mary’s Junior School Kapeeka, Nakaseke district who were apprehended for establishing a WhatsApp group code named “National Preparation for Cheating UNEB Exams”.
According to the UNEB Spokesperson Jennifer Kalule, the two suspects were arrested after adding a whistleblower to their group and they were later charged of being in possession of pseudo examination papers for Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) and they were sentenced to 36 months in prison by the Tororo Chief Magistrate.
Kalule further said that they also arrested two suspects who include; Thomas Onyoto of Hillside Kaloga Secondary School and Livingstone Kambugu, a biology teacher at Bujjubi Secondary School, Mityana District for allegedly being in possession of an unauthorized chemistry paper in a laboratory.
Kalule also confirmed that they recorded an incident of a candidate at Bwera Secondary School, Kasese district identified as Sulaina Nabirye who died at 10pm on the night of Monday October 14th 2024 having successfully written her Day 1 examinations.
Meanwhile, the UNEB has warned journalists against taking pictures or videos of candidates in examination rooms without permission from the Board’s Executive Director Dan Odongo.
According to the Board, their Management received information about some journalists that took pictures in examination rooms while the examinations were in progress at certain schools whose identities are not revealed.
Kalule says that accessing examination rooms while the exams are in progress is illegal and a threat to the security of the examinations.
She says that journalists should be aware that if any problem arises out of their actions, they can be convicted for aiding and abetting malpractice as stipulated in the UNEB Act 2021.
Kalule however calls on media houses to desist from assigning journalists to cover activities within examination rooms while examinations are in progress.
By Ben Musanje
21 Oct 2024
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