During the presentation of the results at State House Nakasero on Thursday, UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo announced that 84,301 candidates (10.7% of the total candidates) earned Division One in 2024, a slight decrease from 86,582 candidates (11.7%) in 2023, out of 736,931 candidates who sat the exam that year.
Speaking to our reporter ahead of the official release of the examination results this morning, UNEB Spokesperson Jennifer Kalule revealed that the UNEB portal indicates many schools have outstanding balances, with some accumulating unpaid invoices dating as far back as 2017.
Due to the recent reconsideration of the bill, the board may face challenges in funding its operations, as the funds initially allocated to them have been reverted to their original budget votes.
Jennifer Kalule Musamba, the UNEB spokesperson has confirmed that the sample papers are now available, and they distribute them to schools to familiarize both teachers and students with the format of Competency Based Assessment (CBA) questions.
The candidate from Kyere Primary School, whose identity has been withheld because she is a minor was in the middle of her mathematics exam when her labour pains started.
Last year, UNEB introduced use of random numbers to identify examination centres instead of school names. Candidates were also given codes instead of district names.
"Normally results are released at a neutral environment. Kampala Parents in this instance is not a neutral place. It has a primary class. It is going to be one of the recipients of the results. This makes one wonder whether government has vested interests in the school," Prof Lutalo said.
At Kisuule Nursery & Primary School, Bukoto, papers were received at exactly 8:10 a.m. by Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) scouts and supervisors in the absence of invigilators. There were still no invigilators at the school after 9 a.m., sending the administrators into a panic.
Our reporter accessed the fake papers and compared them with the papers done on Monday but none of the numbers were similar. The UNEB Executive Secretary, Dan N. Odong has those behind the fake papers that they risk arrest.
While addressing journalists at the UNEB offices in Ntinda on Sunday, Dan N Odongo, the UNEB Executive Secretary, said the six were arrested before any examination material could be transported to the field. "By the time of the arrest this weekend, we had not released any PLE examination paper to the field. The examinations are still safe and have not leaked," Odongo said.
Kajura observed that the kind of dressing by the affected didn’t portray a good image of the schools and fall outside the generally acceptable standards of the public service.
The participants were chosen from Kampala Omoro, Kitgum, Nwoya and Pader districts and will undergo a 13 module online business course that is designed to help them grow their small business ventures.
Saabani Irumba, a parent who had two candidates in the school, says that he paid Shillings 260,000 as demanded by the school but was shocked when the school only took one of his daughters to UNEB claiming the bus was full. Irumba’s daughter, Sophia Karungi, says that she tried to board the bus but Byaruhanga told her that it was already full, adding that those already on the bus would represent them.
However Mwesigye says the using the case of Promotion of Equality in African Schools –PEAS intervention model, the PPP arrangement under the USE programme has proved to work better than public schools.
