Nine Arrested Over PLE Malpractice

What the report says

Police have arrested nine people in connection with alleged malpractice during the 2026 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), according to the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), as quoted by Nile Post. The suspects reportedly include a UNEB examination scout, a school headteacher, two investigators and a person accused of pretending to be a scout. The arrests were made in several districts while investigations into suspected exam irregularities continued.

Among those held is a UNEB official deployed as an examination scout in Butaleja District and assigned to Mango Grove Junior School in Busoolwa. Nile Post reported that the official was allegedly found with UNEB exam papers in his bag and is being held at Butaleja Police Station. In another case, a scout identified as Kasango Bumali was arrested in Rubirizi District after allegedly photographing exam papers at Ndagaro Primary School and sharing them on social media.

UNEB spokesperson Jennifer Kalule Musamba also confirmed the arrest of three other suspects, including the headteacher of Prince Junior School in Gayaza, along with another woman and a mathematics teacher identified only as Mutibwa. They are alleged to have worked together to help candidates during the papers. The trio is being held at Kasangati Police Station pending court appearance.

The report says the arrests followed cooperation between UNEB and members of the public who shared information about suspected malpractice. The development came as candidates across the country completed the second and final day of the 2026 PLE, a key national exam in Uganda.