Namutumba invigilators under probe as 372 pupils ordered to retake PLE

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Authorities in Namutumba district have launched disciplinary proceedings against a number of invigilators and supervisors following examination malpractice, which resulted in the cancellation of results for 372 candidates.

The affected candidates, who sat for the 2025 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), will now be required to retake the exams, said Fredrick Bangu, the Namutumba resident district commissioner (RDC).

Bangu, while speaking to New Vision Online on April 7, 2026, explained that the decision follows investigations that uncovered irregularities in the conduct of last year’s examinations across seven affected centres.

The affected schools include Nkono Memorial, Bukono, St Francis Nabitula, Nawapandu, Irondo, Nagonde Muslim and Bunagwa primary schools.

He explained that during investigations, after UNEB withheld the examinations, some of the affected candidates in March appeared before a UNEB tribunal, where they reportedly admitted to the irregularities, while others were unable to explain the similarities when questioned.

“UNEB subsequently nullified the results and directed all affected pupils, both from government and private schools, to repeat the final year of primary education,” Bangu said.

Bangu partly attributed the malpractice to private schools that lack UNEB centres and instead register candidates at schools with centres. He added that some private schools seek to impress parents, thus conniving with invigilators and supervisors to rig the exams.

“Despite UNEB carrying out its investigations, as a district, we did the same, where it was established that some invigilators and supervisors failed to adhere to established examination guidelines, thereby compromising the integrity of the exercise. We have evidence that there was collusion and negligence among some officials entrusted with managing the examinations, and this cannot be tolerated,” he said.

He appealed to parents to take up the mantle to guide their children and pay school dues for them to re-sit their final examinations so that they can continue with their education.

He noted that the district has decided to introduce pre-entry examinations for Primary Seven candidates to assess whether they qualify for the final examinations.

“The pre-entry examinations will help us assess all our primary seven candidates, including those who have been ordered to repeat the examinations to avoid similar incidents,” he noted.

He added that this will also involve head teacher assessments to help identify gaps, and those found lacking will be given extra supervision.

However, he also urged UNEB to discipline its scouts, noting that malpractice ranged from external assistance to candidates, leakage of examination materials and failure to properly supervise examination rooms.

Earlier, during an interview, UNEB spokesperson Jennifer Kalule said they were conducting tribunal hearings for candidates whose results were withheld to ensure that every learner is given a fair hearing.

“Where it’s proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the candidates were involved in some form of malpractice, the results are cancelled and candidates advised to repeat. The school management has also been advised to support the learners in every way possible,” she noted.

Some parents of the affected candidates expressed concern over the development, with some calling for leniency, arguing that the pupils may have been victims of circumstances beyond their control.

Joseph Mukose, one of the parents, said families were struggling to meet the additional expenses and called on schools to share the burden by covering a large portion of the fees.

He urged the authorities to desist from recruiting unqualified invigilators and called for tighter supervision in future examinations.

The case adds to a growing number of cancellations of examination results in the Busoga region. In March, UNEB also nullified PLE results for 66 candidates of Kiira Primary School in Jinja city, who were told to repeat.