KAMPALA.
Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) has decried rampant examination malpractices, which have led to the withholding of results of several candidates who sat the 2025 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE).
According to Uneb’s executive director, Dan Odongo, examination malpractice has now taken a brazen form where scouts and invigilators are bribed or threatened with physical harm by the school directors and head teachers to allow teachers to assist candidates directly in the examination rooms.
“It is sad that some of our would-be partners in the District Education offices are becoming complicit in this, and other unprofessional acts.
I am very grateful to our dedicated Security team, which has worked so hard on these cases of malpractice. In accordance with Section 5(2) (b) of the UNEB Act, Cap 259, the Board will withhold the results of the affected candidates pending completion of investigations. Where there will be a prima facie case, the Board’s Tribunal (Examinations Security Committee) will accord all the affected candidates a fair hearing before making final decisions,” Mr Odongo said on Friday during the official ceremony to mark the release PLE results at State Lodge, Nakasero in Kampala.
Most of the cases of withheld results this year have been from the districts of Kisoro, Kampala, Mukono, Namutumba, Kassanda, Buyende, Kaliro, among others.
“I want to salute the leadership of Kyenjojo, Kabarole and Bundibugyo districts from where most cases were emanating, that a great change of heart appears to have taken place. Due to stern action taken by the Chief Administrative Officer, Kyenjojo in 2024, no case has been reported from the district,” Mr Odongo added.
A total of 817,883 candidates from 15,388 examination centres registered for
PLE in 2025 compared to 797,444 in 2024. Of this number, 522,036 (63.8 per cent) from 11,525 centres were Universal Primary Education (UPE) beneficiaries, and 295,847 (36.2 per cent) of the candidates from 3,863 centres were non-UPE.
Results for each examination centre will be uploaded to the Centre Portal, and can be downloaded as soon as they are officially released. However, the District, Municipal and City Inspectors of Schools may collect hard copies of the results from UNEB offices at Ntinda from Monday, February 2, 2026. Parents, candidates and other interested parties may use the Short Messaging Service (SMS) on MTN and Airtel mobile networks.