More than 46 students at Masindi Academy Secondary School in western Uganda have appealed to government authorities after discovering they may not have been registered for this year’s national secondary school examinations despite allegedly paying the required examination fees.
The Senior Four candidates, who are expected to sit for the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations administered by the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), gathered at the office of the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) in Masindi on Wednesday, demanding urgent government intervention.
One student reportedly fainted after learning that no evidence of her examination registration could be found.
The students say they repeatedly asked the school’s management to provide their UNEB index numbers but received no satisfactory response. They fear they could lose an entire academic year if they are ultimately unable to sit their final examinations.
“We searched for our registration details, but our names could not be found,” one of the affected students, Apolot, told local journalists.
“Our parents have struggled to pay both school fees and examination registration fees. We are worried that all their sacrifices could go to waste.”
Many of the students said they come from financially vulnerable households, with some being raised by single parents who have worked hard to finance their education.
Joseph Misread, another candidate, said uncertainty remains the biggest concern.
“We don’t know whether we were registered or not. That is why we came to seek help from the RDC’s office.”
The school’s teaching staff also expressed concern. Richard Kumakahce, a teacher at Masindi Academy, said all 46 Senior Four candidates had paid their examination registration fees, which were reportedly handed over to the school’s administration.
“We have tried to seek explanations from the school management, but we have not received clear answers,” he said. “The students deserve immediate assistance because they fulfilled their financial obligations.”
He added that while many schools across Uganda have already begun mock examinations, Masindi Academy students have reportedly been unable to participate because they have not been issued UNEB index numbers.
By press time, the Resident District Commissioner had not commented on the matter. The Principal Education Officer for Masindi Municipality also declined to speak publicly, saying authorities were still establishing the facts surrounding the case.
The incident has renewed concerns about accountability in the administration of examination registration in Uganda, where failure to register candidates before UNEB deadlines can prevent students from sitting national examinations, potentially delaying their education by an entire year.
Neither Masindi Academy’s school director nor the school’s administration had responded to the allegations at the time of publication. Their response will be important in clarifying whether the students were registered and, if not, what led to the apparent lapse.