Kampala, Uganda | THE BLACK EXAMINER | The Makindye Chief Magistrates Court has ordered the detention of Celestine Kasolo, a 48-year-old director and teacher at Kisugu High School, on 12 charges related to unlawful confinement and denying O’level candidates examinations due to unpaid school fees.

Kasolo allegedly held the candidates against their will in his office while accusing them of indiscipline, disrupting the ongoing O’level examinations. This incident occurred on October 26, 2023, in Makindye Division, Kampala District.

Kasolo has denied the charges and is set for a bail hearing on November 12, 2023. He faces charges of disturbances at examinations and wrongful confinement, which could result in a maximum penalty of imprisonment up to five years or a fine up to Shs 20 million upon conviction.

In a separate case, Abdul Karim Sseguya, also known as Fresh Karim, faces charges of unauthorized possession of examination materials or information related to the UCE 2023 exams through social media. He has also denied these charges.

Examination malpractice has been a growing concern in Uganda, leading to the withholding of results. Recent legal actions against educators and individuals involved in such malpractice are part of a broader effort to address this issue.

With the introduction of a new Act, the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has enhanced mechanisms to detect and track suspected malpractice, leading to the arrest and prosecution of several individuals.

A total of 1,224,371 candidates are registered to take their final examinations across three education levels: Primary Leaving Examination (PLE), Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE), and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE). UCE exams are scheduled from October 13 to November 17, 2023, PLE from November 7 to 9, 2023, and UACE from November 10 to December 1, 2023.