As the fight against examination malpractice intensifies, police over the weekend arrested and detained 10 people for allegedly engaging in malpractice and they are kept a Kyebando Police Station pending investigations.
They were arrested from His Grace Primary School, in Kyebando, Kawempe Division and according to the UNEB Principal Public Relations Jennifer Kalule Musamba, the 10 will be later this week committed to court to answer charges of destroying examination materials and unauthorized possession of a UNEB examination paper and material.
Some of the suspects arrested were identified as, Bakka David the Director/ Head teacher of the School who is allegedly connived with the Chief invigilator Kairu Gerald and a UNEB Scout Lwanga Brian, to cut the examination security envelop for Science examination that had been delivered to that centre. Its also alleged that the photographed and shared with 7 others.
The others suspects are, Kyewalabye, the Director of Kawempe Modern and his school Head teacherHakim Kivumbi, Bukenya Fahad, of Home Kindergarten and Primary School Najjera, Somadie Hakim and Godfrey Wanyama. Mrs Kalule said all these confessed to UNEB to having involved in the act of malpractice and they where asking for forgiveness.
Jennifer Kalule Musamba addressing Journalist at Naguru Police Headquarters
While addressing Journalist at Naguru based police Headquarters on13th Monday,2023 , Kalule said that there was no leakage exposing some candidates to prior knowledge in the just concluded UCE and PLE examinations and the malpractice cases reported to police in different parts of the country were mainly relating to provision of external assistance and attempts to destroy the security envelops.
According to the UNEB Act 2021 Section 25(1),(2) and (4) any external assistance is a criminal offense and upon conviction, carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment or a fine of between Ush 20m and 40m.
A total of 110,569 UACE candidates registered as compared to 97,889 the previous year in 2103 examination centers. This indicates an increment of 11.4% (12,680). 22.3% of those are sponsored by government, while 77.7% are on privately basis . of the total candidates, 43%(47,227) are females, while 57%(631,342) are males.
Kalule also said that 34 candidates are siting their examinations at Luzira Upper Prison Centre ,of whom 4 are females, while the candidates with special needs are 243 in total and only 70 require support. The rest will only be given an extra 45 minutes.
A number of those cases were reported to police, and the suspects will be arraigned in court. We therefore want you to know that the Board has massively deployed both covert and overt scouts and security personnel to closely monitor the conduct of the examination.
The UACE candidates also need to be aware that they are adults,who can be tried in Courts of law, once convinced. Any person found indulging in malpractice will be dealt, with in accordance with Section 25 (1) (2) and (4) of the UNEB Act 2021 , which provides for a maximum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment upon conviction, or a fine of between 20m and 40m shs.
Mrs Kalule also cautioned candidates against miss behaving saying that the schools’ administrations have the right to dismiss them even when the examinations have started when they miss behave.
By mugula Dan and George Bukenya