Aggrieved parents in a protest
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has detailed how the missing Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) Integrated Science answer scripts for Bamure Primary School in Koboko District were temporarily misplaced, following public concern after 34 candidates were affected.
The scripts went missing during the post-examination handling and verification process, prompting UNEB to launch an urgent internal investigation. According to UNEB, the misplacement occurred due to a breakdown in documentation and tracking procedures during the collection and temporary storage of the examination materials at the school.
Jennifer Kalule-Musamba, the UNEB Principal Public Relations Officer, said preliminary findings showed that the envelope containing the scripts had been properly sealed but was inadvertently placed in a secure storage box at the head teacher’s office instead of being forwarded with other scripts to the designated collection centre.
“The envelope was safely stored in the headmaster’s secure box, but due to an oversight in the handover process, it was not immediately dispatched with the rest of the examination materials,” Kalule-Musamba explained.
She added that the error stemmed from a lapse in adherence to established packaging and tracking procedures, which require immediate documentation and transportation of scripts under police escort to prevent misplacement.
The missing scripts were later traced to the school’s premises, where they were recovered intact. The envelope was handed over to Koboko Central Police Station for verification before being returned to UNEB. Police confirmed that the seal was unbroken and that there was no evidence of tampering.
During the search, UNEB had temporarily assigned an “X” grade to the 34 affected candidates when the 2025 PLE results were released, pending recovery and verification of their scripts.
Kalule-Musamba said marking of the recovered scripts has since resumed and assured parents and candidates that the results will be released in time to be included in the national selection and placement exercise.
“We want to assure parents, learners and the general public that this was purely an administrative lapse. The scripts were secure at all times, and no candidate will be disadvantaged,” she said.
The Ministry of Education and Sports welcomed the swift recovery of the scripts and commended UNEB’s quality assurance mechanisms, which ensured the anomaly was detected early and addressed promptly.
The ministry also said the incident had highlighted the need for tighter supervision, better training of examination handlers, and stricter adherence to standard operating procedures to prevent similar occurrences in future examinations.
Education officials noted that additional safeguards, including improved tracking systems and enhanced accountability measures, would be introduced to minimize the risk of misplacement and restore public confidence in the examination management process.
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