Invigilator arrested in Kasese over alleged exam malpractice

Police in Kasese District have arrested a Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) invigilator for allegedly facilitating examination malpractice during the ongoing  exams administered by the Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB).
SP Nelson Tumushime, the Rwenzori East Regional Police spokesperson, confirmed the arrest of the invigilator on Monday. The suspect was serving as an invigilator at Vision Vocational Secondary School in Kisinga Sub County, Bukonzo County East.
"She was caught taking pictures of the Geography exam paper with the intent to leak it to students outside her supervision center. This act is a clear violation of UNEB regulations," SP Tumushime stated.
The suspect is currently held at Bwera Police Divisional Headquarters in Mpondwe-Lhubiriha Town Council. She is expected to be arraigned in court before the end of the week and will face charges of examination malpractice, an offense under the Ministry of Education and Sports and the Examination Act.
SP Tumushime noted that this is the first arrest since the UCE examinations commenced on October 11, 2024, following a briefing session for officials.
Mr Ernest Bwambale Thabugha, the Kasese District Education Officer, issued a stern warning to teachers and UNEB officials, including supervisors and invigilators, to avoid involvement in such acts.
"Examination malpractice at any level has serious consequences, including the confiscation of a teacher’s documents, stress for learners, the potential loss of a school's UNEB center number, or the withholding of results for the entire school," Thabugha said.
He added, “Examination officials are briefed on their responsibilities during the exam period. Aiding or facilitating cheating undermines the integrity of the process and does a disservice to students by providing knowledge outside what they were taught.”
Mr Thabugha also revealed that investigations have been launched at all examination centers across the district to ensure the integrity of the examination process is upheld.