The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has warned the public against getting involved in acts of malpractice by sharing examination material.
The UNEB spokesperson Jennifer Kalule said on Monday morning that several arrests have been made in connection to malpractice since the Uganda Certificate Examinations commenced on October 16.
Kalule emphasized that the unauthorized possession of any materials claimed to be UNEB papers is considered an offense. This includes keeping such materials on a phone, computer, or physically possessing exam papers. She also warned that sharing such materials is a criminal act and can result in a penalty of up to 5 years in jail or a fine of 20 million shillings, as per the amended UNEB 2021 Act.
“Whether you obtain it through WhatsApp or any other social media platform, please delete it and do not share or forward it. Sharing or forwarding such materials constitutes an act of malpractice or aiding and abetting malpractice, which is also an offense,” she stated.
Kalule urged the public to refrain from sharing such material and advised them to instead contact relevant authorities at UNEB through the provided hotline at 080011427 or report such incidents to the police.
UNEB Executive Director, Dan Nikorach, also addressed the situation and urged students not to be misled by individuals claiming to possess exam answers. He encouraged both students and teachers to report any instances of examination malpractice.
“Members of the public are therefore advised to desist from digitally sharing any such content. Any other suspected cases of examination malpractice should be reported to the police or UNEB,” Nikorach emphasized.
Last week, the police arrested the head teacher of Paul Mukasa Secondary School in Kalagi for electronically sharing information, purported to be a UNEB examination paper.
The head teacher in question is accused of both sharing examination materials from his phone and extorting money from unsuspecting members of the public.
In a related incident, the police in Mitooma arrested a Swahili teacher from Kanyabwanga Secondary School. The teacher allegedly shared information claiming to be examination material for a UNEB Biology practical paper.
In another incident, in Kwania District, the head teacher of Inomo Secondary School was arrested by the police for allegedly tampering with an examination material envelope containing mathematics Paper 1 examination papers.