The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has released the 2025 Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) results — a pivotal moment for over 817,000 pupils who sat the exams across 15,388 centres nationwide. The official release took place at State House, Nakasero, on January 30, 2026, attracting strong public attention from students, parents, educators, policymakers, and media.

 Dan Odongo, the Secretary UNEB at the release of the 2025 PLE results.

Across Uganda, the 2025 PLE results show a notable improvement in academic performance compared to previous years, particularly at the Division One level, indicating that more students have qualified to progress to secondary education. Observers have welcomed the rise in top grades, signaling better learning outcomes in certain subjects.

However, UNEB also highlighted persistent issues, including widespread examination malpractice. Some districts saw results withheld for several candidates, underscoring ongoing challenges in safeguarding the integrity of national exams.Despite improvements in overall performance, exam irregularities have been a major talking point. UNEB confirmed that results for several candidates in districts such as Kisoro, Kampala, and Mukono were withheld due to suspected malpractice. In response, the Board and security committees are conducting investigations to determine appropriate actions, including hearings for affected pupils.

Despite improvements in overall performance, exam irregularities have been a major talking point. UNEB confirmed that results for several candidates in districts such as Kisoro, Kampala and Mukono were withheld due to suspected malpractice. In response, the Board and security committees are conducting investigations to determine appropriate actions, including hearings for affected pupils.

 Pupils at Nyantungo Primary School prepare to sit for an SST Examination

In an encouraging development, Kyenjojo District has emerged as a notable success story in the 2025 PLE cycle. According to UNEB officials, no cases of examination malpractice were reported from Kyenjojo—a significant turnaround from previous years when the district had been among those with malpractice concerns. It should be noted that in the PLE 2024 alone, results of 355 pupils were withheld by UNEB over cheating and examination malpractices, many of whom had to resit the exams in 2025.

UNEB’s Executive Director, Dan Odongo, specifically acknowledged the “great change of heart” in Kyenjojo, attributing this positive outcome to strong district leadership and decisive action taken by the Chief Administrative Officer, Mr. Masereka Amis Auman, and LC V Chairperson, Hon. Gilbert Rubaihayo, in 2024. A tough decision to interdict head teachers who had been suspected of involvement in examination malpractice, a decision that shaped the destiny of the district.

“When the results of 2024 were released, the CAO took very stern measures against the headteachers of schools that perpetuated this vice. Although they went to court, he stood firm together with his LC V Chair, whom they also threatened not to vote”, he remarked. “Because of that stern action, no single malpractice case has come from Kyenjojo this year”, Odongo said. This leadership appears to have fostered a culture of integrity, ensuring that students sit exams in a fair environment free from collusion or undue influence.

The District Inspector of Schools (DIS), Kyenjojo, Mr. Innocent Niyonzima, also attributed this to the strict supervision and security by UNEB officials during the PLE examinations. He also applauded the Chief Administrative Officer for the stern action against headteachers of the affected schools in 2024, which action kicked out the vice this year.

Concern however is on the poor performance in the 2025 exams, in which the district had 218 pupils in Division 1, 2,753 pupils in Division 2, 1,958 in Division 3, 1,442 in Division 4, an alarming 2,034 in Division U, and 71 in Division X. The DIS however attributes this on the industrial action of teachers, as pupils sat for these papers only one week after the strike had been called off. Pupils had very little time with their teachers for guidance and revision. He also attributes this to the tight security protocols schools were subjected to, in a bid to curb the rampant malpractices, which brought about anxiety and fear in the pupils. He is, however, optimistic about a better performance this year.

 UNEB Officials inspect the papers at Kiddudu Primary School

For the community of parents, educators, and learners in Kyenjojo, this achievement reinforces the importance of discipline, cooperation, and ethical conduct—setting a positive example for other districts facing similar challenges.