KOBOKO, Uganda — The Uganda National Examinations Board said it has recovered 34 missing Primary Leaving Examination Integrated Science scripts from Bamure Primary School in Koboko District, days after results were released, triggering public anger and fresh calls for accountability.
In a press statement dated Feb. 3, UNEB said the scripts were found sealed and intact in a lockable box for examination materials in the head teacher’s office. The papers belonged to candidates who sat the 2025 PLE. During routine quality control before results were released, the board discovered the scripts were missing and temporarily awarded the affected learners an “X” grade as checks continued. Police later collected the envelope from the school and confirmed it had not been tampered with before handing it to UNEB for marking.
UNEB spokesperson Jennifer Kalule Musamba said the board has invited examiners to mark the papers and assured parents that final grades will be issued in time for senior one selection. She said the recovery followed checks at marking centers and the school, and urged the public to remain calm as the process is completed.
The discovery came shortly after UNEB released the 2025 PLE results on Jan. 30 at State House Nakasero. More than 817,000 candidates registered for the exams, with an absentee rate of about 1.3 percent. While the board reported an increase in top grades nationwide, the Koboko case overshadowed the celebrations and raised questions about handling of scripts at school level.
Parents at Bamure Primary School said the incident caused anxiety for families waiting to place their children in secondary schools. Some demanded investigations and sanctions for officials responsible for the oversight. On social media, users questioned whether the late marked scripts would be graded fairly and called for tighter supervision of invigilators and scouts.
The Koboko case comes amid wider concern about exam malpractice. UNEB has previously reported incidents of bribery, threats to invigilators and withheld results in several districts. Executive Director Dan Odongo has described some cases as brazen, saying school heads have at times compromised exam officials.
Education experts warn that missing or delayed results can harm learners’ confidence and trust in the system, especially in rural areas. The Ministry of Education, led by Janet Museveni, has urged schools to follow exam rules strictly and protect candidates’ rights.
UNEB said it will review procedures to prevent a repeat of the incident.
