School director and two teachers arrested for attempting to bribe UNEB scout as PLE begins
Lira /Kampala,Uganda
Three education officials have been arrested in Lira City after allegedly attempting to bribe a Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) scout with UGX 1,000,000 to influence supervision of Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) candidates. The arrests come on the first day of the 2025 PLE, when more than 817,000 pupils nationwide begin the national assessments.
The arrests — where and who
Police in Lira City say the suspects were detained at Garden Hotel on Sunday evening after a tip-off. The trio have been named as:
George Odongo, director of Atura Community Day Primary School;
Simon Ekut, 32, a former teacher at the same school; and
Lavoiser (Awoko) Awoko, 26, a teacher at St. Gracious Primary School (Barapwo).
Authorities allege the three offered a UNEB scout Shs 1,000,000 to “influence” how the examinations would be supervised at their centre in Oyam District. Police exhibited the recovered cash as evidence after the arrest.
UNEB and the police say the arrests underscore a zero-tolerance posture toward examination malpractice and attempts to corrupt the administration of national exams. UNEB officials condemned the act and vowed prosecutions where appropriate.
Context: the 2025 PLE operation
UNEB deployed tens of thousands of officials and security personnel to oversee this year’s exams. According to UNEB and multiple press briefings, roughly 817,000–818,000 Primary Seven candidates are registered for the 2025 PLE — an increase of about 2.5% from last year — and thousands of scouts, invigilators and district monitors were mobilised to protect the process. UNEB has repeatedly warned head teachers, invigilators and parents against malpractice such as impersonation, bribery and unauthorised distribution of materials.
UNEB executive management has also reminded schools that exam security teams and police will be deployed across examination centres and that arrests, prosecutions and sanctions (including school licence suspensions) will follow proven malpractice. Recent weeks saw other arrests and crackdowns tied to impersonation and registration irregularities, signalling intensified enforcement this year.
What police and UNEB are saying
A police statement posted on official channels confirmed the detention of the three suspects and said investigators will record statements from the suspects and the UNEB scout involved. UNEB’s public relations team reiterated that any attempt to bribe, coerce or otherwise influence exam officials is a criminal offence that undermines the credibility of national examinations and robs pupils of fair assessment.
Why this matters
Integrity of results: The PLE determines transition to secondary school for hundreds of thousands of children. Any malpractice erodes confidence in the system and unfairly advantages a few at the expense of many.
Deterrence: Quick police action signals that authorities are monitoring exam centres closely and are willing to act — a necessary deterrent given past incidences of exam fraud and impersonation.
Public trust and accountability: Schools implicated in malpractice risk sanctions that include criminal charges, loss of accreditation and reputational damage that can affect entire communities.
What happens next
Police say the suspects will be processed, charged where evidence supports prosecution, and their statements will be taken as the investigation continues. UNEB will continue to deploy security teams and reserves the right to suspend or de-register centres or personnel found complicit in malpractice. Investigations into any wider networks — including whether other schools attempted similar inducements — are ongoing.
Reaction from stakeholders
UNEB: Reiterated a stern warning to all education players: “We will not hesitate to pursue anyone who seeks to compromise the credibility of our examinations.” (UNEB statements and social posts).
Police: Emphasised that tips from the public and UNEB scouts were crucial to the arrests and asked the public to continue reporting suspicious approaches around exam centres.
