By Weswa Ronnie
MBALE CITY
230 pupils are set to repeat Primary Leaving Examinations after UNEB cancelled their 2025 results over alleged malpractices.
The confirmation of the sad news was broken to pupils and parents of the two schools identified as St. Joseph Primary School in Musoto and Bumuluya Primary School in Lwaso, Industrial city division on Wednesday, 18th March, 2026 by the City’s Education officials.
Speaking to this publication on Thursday, 19th March, 2026, at her officer, Jolly Hasoho, the Mbale City Deputy Town Clerk confirmed the cancellation of the results in the two schools.
Hasoho says UNEB withheld results for 178 candidates, releasing only 17, due to malpractice in the science paper at St. Joseph Primary School revealing that UNEB found that the 178 candidates had identical answers, including incorrect ones.
Hasoho adds that it was suspicious that some candidates had correct answers crossed out and replaced with wrong ones, matching others. UNEB summoned the school and city authorities to defend the case, but evidence supported malpractice claims.
During the defense on March 16, 2025, UNEB failed to get enough evidence from the school to prove there was no malpractice, resulting in the cancellation of 178 candidates’ results and asking them to repeat the class.
City authorities blame head teacher, Stephen Washakie for the problems, which have affected innocent parents and pupils. The deputy town clerk also accuses Washakie of inciting parents and pupils to attack city officials on Wednesday at the school when they had gone to have a meeting with parents to calm them, despite being responsible.
Some parents, speaking anonymously, expressed anger towards the school for allowing malpractice, which has impacted their children.
They’re calling on government to impose strict punishment on the schools involved, to serve as a deterrent.
Stephen Washakie, head of St. Joseph Primary School Musoto, couldn’t be reached for comment as his phone was off during press time.
Hasoho says Bumuluya Primary School in Lwaso, Industrial city division, is another affected school. Only 7 candidates received results, while 52 had theirs canceled due to malpractice in the Mathematics paper. UNEB found that the 52 candidates had correct answers but used wrong formulas in calculations.
Meanwhile, angry pupils and parents of St Joseph Musoto Primary School in Mbale City on Wednesday locked the school gate for about 40 minutes, blocking education officials from leaving after they announced that the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) had cancelled the PLE results of 178 candidates over examination malpractice.
