Relief for 10 Namutumba P.7 candidates as UNEB secures special registration

By Barasa Richard

Ten Primary Seven candidates from Bright Star Primary School in Bulange, Namutumba District, have secured a second chance to sit their 2026 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) after the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) granted them special registration.

The development has brought relief to the affected learners and their parents, who had feared that the children would miss their final primary school examinations and lose an entire academic year following an alleged failure by the school administration to complete their registration.

The learners had reportedly missed the official registration process after the school's director, Mr. Owoli Innocent, allegedly disappeared with Shs 1 million collected from their parents for examination registration.

According to information provided by the affected parents, each of the ten candidates had paid Shs 100,000, bringing the total amount collected to Shs 1 million.

The director had reportedly assured the parents that their children would sit their examinations at Buweibamba Primary School in Bulange Sub-county, Namutumba District.

However, concerns emerged when he allegedly disappeared without completing the registration process, leaving the parents uncertain about the academic future of their children.

For the families, the situation created anxiety as the national examinations approached, with fears that their children would remain at home while their classmates progressed to secondary education.

The matter attracted the attention of the local community and leadership, prompting parents to seek intervention from the Namutumba District Education Officer's office to ensure that the affected learners were not disadvantaged by circumstances beyond their control.

The situation was also confirmed by the LC1 Chairperson of Buweibamba Village and other community members, who expressed concern over the learners' predicament.

However, their fears have now been eased following UNEB's decision to register all ten candidates under a special arrangement, allowing them to participate in the 2026 examinations.

Namutumba District Information Officer, Mr. Noah Kiire, confirmed that the affected candidates had successfully secured special registration and were ready to sit their examinations.

Kiire said all necessary arrangements had been finalised to ensure that none of the ten learners was left out of this year's PLE.

The intervention has provided relief to parents who had been worried about the possibility of their children losing an entire academic year because of the alleged failure to complete the registration process.

The affected parents expressed gratitude and relief following confirmation that their children would be allowed to sit the examinations alongside thousands of other candidates across Uganda.

They are also expected to seek clarification from the relevant education authorities regarding how the registration money was collected and why the candidates were not registered within the official period.

Their concern is that the circumstances surrounding the incident should be addressed to prevent other families from experiencing similar difficulties.

The incident has raised broader questions about accountability and transparency in school administration, particularly where parents entrust school administrators with money intended for national examination registration.

It also highlights the importance of parents verifying their children's registration status with the relevant examination authorities rather than relying entirely on assurances from school administrators.

Meanwhile, the 2026 Primary Leaving Examinations are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, November 3, and conclude on Wednesday, November 4, with candidates across the country preparing to complete their primary education.

The special registration of the ten learners demonstrates the importance of timely intervention by education authorities when children risk missing national examinations because of administrative challenges beyond their control.

As the examinations begin, attention will now turn to the performance and future academic journey of the ten candidates from Bright Star Primary School.

For their parents, the immediate relief is that their children will not miss this important educational milestone. After weeks of uncertainty and anxiety, the learners have finally secured an opportunity to sit their examinations and pursue their dreams of joining secondary school.