Masindi Academy SS students accuse school boss of ‘UNEB registration scam’

Masindi | This year’s 2026 senior four candidates who are looking forward to sitting their Uganda National Examinations of Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) at Masindi Academy Secondary School stormed the office of the Masindi Resident District Commissioner (RDC) on Friday.

The students said they were seeking an intervention following a failure by the school administration to provide them with clarity about the recently concluded registration for the national examinations.

A section of forty six students who were escorted by their teachers to the RDC office expressed doubts about the recently concluded UNEB normal registration exercise, which ended on June, 30, 2026.

According to them, “the school officials remain silent with no clear updates about the completion of the registration exercise,” noting that they have never been issued individual registration numbers.

Besides the non-issuance of registration numbers, they have also been denied a series of internal academic activities, including internal mock examinations, which would determine their capability for final national examinations.

“Each one of us paid a total sum of shs255,000 for UNEB registration, but since the deadline, all the administrators remain silent on us, thus putting us in big doubts and worries if we were registered to sit this year’s 2026 national exams,” some who spoke to tndNews, Uganda, had this to say.

Patricia Aber, one of the affected students, condemned the act, saying their failure to be registered will push them to repeat class after spending huge sums of money in clearing both school and registration fees.

“I paid shs250,000 in the first week of the term for UNEB registration alongside school fees but only got disappointed,” she said.

Josephat Masereka, another student, wonders why the school administrators could fail to open up to the students about the situation at hand.

“The worry I have is that I am not sure whether I shall sit for my final examination or not. For a long time we have been asking the school director to tell us the truth, but he keeps on confusing us, saying that we are registered without any proof. Spending four years studying and getting disappointed at the last moment is never a simple thing,” Masereka said.

Veronica Aporo, another student, wonders how her single father perceives the information about the scandalous situation given his financial constraints surrounded by numerous responsibilities.

“I am deeply concerned with what has happened. If I miss this year’s UCE, I am not sure if my father will raise money for me again,” she noted.

One of the teachers for agriculture, Richard Kumaketch, who opened up to the media, said that several meetings have been held over the issue of registration but nothing has materialised. “…the deadline has closed now for late registration.”

Kumaketch stressed that mock exams have been going on in various neighbouring schools at the watch of their students due to lack of index numbers.

“We have come to call upon the authorities, including the Ministry of Education, to take action and ensure that our innocent students are registered so that they can fulfil their dreams of academics,” he urged.

“We also appeal to the ministry to ensure that candidates of previous years: 2023, 2024 and 2025 get their final examination documents,” he added.

When tndNews, Uganda, approached the senior principal education officer of Masindi Municipality, Sam Peter Ayebale, after the indoor meeting with the RDC and students, he declined to give concrete comments. “It (my comment) shall jeopardise the investigation,” he briefly said.

Abdul Musa, school director, is being accused of a UNEB fee scandal. He said he was contacted by the DEO on the matter and was able to serve the examination officer with the information.

“Therefore, I cannot go beyond,” he told tndNews, Uganda, referring us to the DEO for further clarification.

Meanwhile, according to a few who attended the indoor meeting, it was resolved that an urgent intervention by the school be made on the matter.