The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has commended the successful completion of the 2025 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), which were conducted smoothly across the country despite heavy rains and isolated cases of malpractice.
Speaking on Thursday, UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo said the examinations, which began on Monday, November 3 and ended on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, proceeded without major disruptions.
“Despite the weather and the heavy rains across the country, I am glad to report that all parts of the country conducted exams without disruption except one school in Lira which had to be relocated due to floods,” Odongo said.
He revealed that although eight schools in Katakwi District were initially feared to be inaccessible due to flooding, the situation improved before the examinations began. In some flood-affected areas, community members reportedly worked together to drain water from classrooms to ensure that pupils could sit their papers on time.
“In one community where there was no church, residents worked hard to drain water from classrooms, and all examination centres were able to conduct the exams without interruption,” he added.
In Lira District, Odongo noted that exam distribution was briefly delayed for about an hour due to flooded roads, but all candidates eventually received their papers.
The UNEB boss also addressed an isolated incident in Kabale District, where a head teacher of Rwababa Primary School was arrested for preventing a pupil from sitting a mathematics paper over unpaid coaching fees. The suspect was arrested ,detained and later “arraigned before the Kabale Chief Magistrate’s Court, granted bail, and is expected back in court on November 16.
Meanwhile, UNEB confirmed several cases of examination malpractice across different parts of the country, including attempts by school directors and teachers to bribe examination officials or assist candidates.
Among the notable incidents, 18 teachers and invigilators in Greater Masaka were arrested for aiding pupils during exams, while a head teacher in Katakwi was detained for smuggling photocopied answers into the examination room.
In Rakai, police apprehended a man posing as a UNEB scout, while in Kumi District, a teacher from Ongino Junior School was arrested for making and distributing photocopies of the Science paper before the exam began.
Other incidents were reported in Kyengera, Kaliro, Kampala, and Kapchorwa, where head teachers and teachers were found assisting candidates or attempting to bribe officials.
Despite these isolated incidents, Odongo expressed appreciation to the teachers, local government officials, and the teachers’ union for ensuring the smooth running of the exams.
“I want to express the Board’s gratitude to the teachers who participated in invigilation and the executive of the teachers’ union that called off the strike, allowing the exams to proceed smoothly. We also thank the Chief Administrative Officers and District Education Officers who worked closely with UNEB to ensure the PLE was conducted successfully,” he said.
The 2025 PLE marks another milestone for UNEB in maintaining examination integrity and resilience amid challenging weather conditions and scattered cases of malpractice.
