The Uganda National Examinations Board has cancelled the 2025 Primary Leaving Examination results for 372 pupils from seven schools in Namutumba District due to malpractice during the Mathematics paper, forcing them to repeat Primary Seven.
Parents and leaders express frustration over added costs and call for accountability from UNEB officials.
Hundreds of Primary Seven pupils in Namutumba District, eastern Uganda, must repeat the year after UNEB nullified their 2025 PLE results for exam irregularities.
Investigations revealed external assistance on the Mathematics paper for 372 candidates from schools including Nkono Memorial, Bukono, Bunangwe, St Francis Nabitula, Irondo, Nangonde Muslim, and Nawampandu. The pupils admitted to the malpractice during a March 18 hearing before UNEB’s security committee.
At Nawampandu Primary School, identical answers to a math question raised red flags that candidates could not justify. UNEB’s decision affects both government and private school pupils, directing all to redo P7 amid rising family expenses in rural areas.
Parents like Joseph Mukose from Nkono Memorial urged schools to cover most repeat costs, while Resident District Commissioner Fredrick Bangu criticized UNEB scouts and supervisors for oversight failures. District leaders plan to demote implicated head teachers and blame private candidates sitting at government centers.
An anonymous invigilator pointed to collusion involving administrators, low-paid officials, and bribery. Only two of 50 candidates at Bukono Primary School retained valid results.
The scandal risks higher dropout rates, especially for girls, with some pupils already abandoning school or entering early marriages. This follows 66 cancellations in Jinja City, totaling 438 affected in Busoga sub-region out of Namutumba’s 6,087 candidates.
