Jennifer Kalule-Mulumba, the UNEB spokesperson.
The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has finally resolved to disqualify a senior four candidate whose aunt had hired someone else aka ‘mercenary’ to write for her exams.
On Tuesday last week, an examination supervisor at Kawempe Standard Secondary School spotted a boy using a girl’s name on his answer sheet.
Later, it was discovered that he had been hired to write exams for Hudah Namuwonge who was also in the same room.
Despite the fact that Namuwonge had been involved in malpractice, she had been allowed to continue with other examinations, this time writing on her own behalf, under principle of being presumed innocent until found guilty.
Now, Jennifer Kalule, the UNEB spokesperson, says that with the confession made by Amina Nalwadda, the aunt to Namuwonge in the Nabweru court on Friday, the board has since taken a decision to stop her from continuing sitting exams.
Kalule adds that the candidate could not be allowed to continue with the exams because the regulation is clear that involvement in malpractice in one paper, can lead to disqualification of candidate or canceling of results.
Nalwadda told court on Friday that she had hired a male student to do exams for her child who was seating the 2022 UCE examinations as a repeater.
Listening to Nalwadda’s own confession, the court sentenced her to one year in jail or pay a fine of UGX 4.8M.
As the second week of the UCE exams begins, data shows that UNEB has so far documented eight further incidences of examination malpractice across several districts.
This time around, impersonation stands out as the main vice currently registered in districts of Kagadi, Butebo, and Kampala city.
Although UNEB quickly convicted one of the suspects in Kampala, in the three cases, some of the suspects are still at large, while others like Moses Hamara, the headteacher at Kawempe Standard SS, who is said to have orchestrated the impersonation case right from registration, have denied the accusations.
Hamara was given a non cash bail of 5 million and will reappear in court on November 7 this year. In accordance with the new UNEB Act, impersonation is a crime punishable by a fine of up to 20 million shillings, or a prison sentence of up to five years, or both.
-URN
