UNEB Disowns Purported Examination Scout

Uganda National Examinations Board-UNEB has disowned Richard Okello, a purported examination scouts accusing the Higher Education State Minister, John C Muyingo for causing his arrest for allegedly exposing examination malpractice at his school. Okello teaches English at Seeta Junior School, which belongs to the minister.

In a petition drafted by his lawyers of Alliance Advocates led by Richard Okallany, Okello accuses Muyingo of causing his arrest because he exposed a case of examination malpractice at Seeta Junior during the just concluded Primary Leaving Examinations-PLE. 

The lawyers want the Director of Public Prosecutions, Justice Mike Chibita to order for the immediate release of their clients who has spent eight days at Jinja Road Police Station. 

"It has been more than 8 days since my client was arrested. He has not been produced in court yet he has been transported from one police station to another. This is a gross violation of his constitutional rights and his presumption of innocence. We want the DPP to use his powers and have my client released," Okallany says.

They also argue that Okello was wrongly arrested and charged with impersonation on grounds that he isn’t a qualified teacher and extorting money from two colleagues suspected to have been involved in examination malpractice.

According to the petition, Okello was appointed as an examination scout working under a team led by Commissioner CID Administration, Richard Mwesigye. The team is said to have arrested two teachers from Seeta Junior School only identified as Ekaju and Odeke on November 5, 2019. Two police officers identified as Mayende and Mafabi are said to have worked with Okello to arrest the two teachers.

The petition also indicates that teacher's mobile phones were checked shortly after their arrest and found to have circulated leaked English examination scripts on watsapp to several schools including Global Junior Mukono, Mukono Junior School and Shiloh Primary School, Jinja.

"Muyingo heard that two of his teachers were arrested on charges of examination malpractice, he pushed for their release on Police bond. The two teachers were later released,” reads the petition.         

However, the UNEB, the Executive Secretary, Dan Odongo has disowned Okello. "It has come to our attention that there is information circulating on social media about a whistle blower who has been arrested. We don’t know any purported scout identified at Richard Okello. We do not have any knowledge of him," Odongo said. 

Adding that, “No UNEB scout has been arrested. There have not been any cases of Examination malpractice apart from a few concerning impersonation in Buikwe." Okallany insists that UNEB is protecting Muyingo. He says the examination body should work towards investigating the said examination malpractice.

"They are protecting the minister but we shall show the truth. Examination malpractice took place and instead of trying to get to the bottom of the issue, they are trying to sweep it under the table," Okallany said. Adding that,”Okay, if my client is not a UNEB scouts, does that change the fact that those teachers arrested were found cheating exams? They need to focus on examination malpractice."

Efforts by URN to speak to Muyingo were futile. The Public relations officer for the Seeta Schools-including Seeta Junior School, Eiden Tamale, declined to comment on the matter, saying the school isn’t willing to release any information about what is happening.

"We have a Richard Okello employed by the school but we are reluctant to release any other information. The head teacher of the school has decided to wait for the minister to come back from an overseas trip. When he comes back, he will address the nation about what is circulating on social media," Tamale said.