Police in Kabale District have arrested a primary school headteacher for allegedly blocking a P.7 pupil from sitting the Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) over a Shs 70,000 coaching fee.
The suspect, identified as Drake Kishija, headteacher of Rwababa Primary School in Kyanamira Sub-county, allegedly denied candidate Ezekiel Ahimbisibwe access to the national exams after he failed to pay the fee during the recent teachers’ industrial action.
Kigezi region police spokesperson Elly Maate confirmed the arrest saying: ‘When questioned about the incident, the headteacher claimed that the boy was nowhere to be seen until police brought him to the examination room when the paper was about to end.’
‘It is very unfortunate for the young boy to miss his exams, and police strongly condemn such acts. We shall not sit back and watch other school administrators subject innocent pupils to similar mistreatment,’ he added.
The matter came to light after the boy’s relative, Gerald Natuhumuza Esau, reported the incident at Kabale Police Station, accusing the headteacher of unlawfully denying the pupil his ‘right to education despite being fully registered.’
Investigations into the case are ongoing to establish the facts and determine the next course of action.
Kabale District Education Officer (DEO) Moses Tumwijukye Bwengye confirmed that 3,354 candidates are sitting the 2025 PLE across the district on Monday and Tuesday.
He noted that the cohort includes seven inmates from Ndorwa Government Prison and two candidates with disabilities, one at Hornby High School Junior and another at Lower Bugongi Primary School.
Tumwijukye expressed confidence that the rainy weather would not disrupt the exams, saying all materials were properly packaged and secured.
Kabale District Distribution Monitor, Felix Aruho, urged all invigilators and field officers to maintain integrity during the exercise.
‘We advise all invigilators and field officers to strictly adhere to the Uganda National Examinations Board rules and regulations to ensure a smooth and credible examination exercise,’ he said.
Kisoro teachers detained over photocopied PLE Answers
Two primary school teachers were arrested Monday in Kisoro District for allegedly orchestrating malpractice during the ongoing Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE).
Bernard Katabire, 41, a teacher at Real Quality Primary School, and Samuel Baker Munyantari, 52, headteacher of Seseme Primary School, were taken into custody from Seseme Primary School premises in the afternoon.
According to Maate, the incident unfolded at Seseme Girls Primary School, where Katabire was deployed as an invigilator.
‘Around 1:00 p.m., Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) scout George Kisakye entered Classroom 4 and noticed Katabire holding several suspicious papers. Upon inspection, one document was found to be a photocopied answer sheet containing pre-written solutions to Mathematics questions 31 and 32,’ ASP Maate said.
Kisakye reported the matter to the headteacher and alerted the police officer stationed at the centre. Both suspects were detained for questioning.
‘Investigations are actively ongoing,’ ASP Maate added. Authorities have intensified nationwide efforts to curb examination malpractice.
PLEexams are expected to end on November 4.