KAMPALA UGANDA – October 10, 2025: The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has officially launched the commencement of the 2025 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) Examinations, coupling the announcement with an urgent appeal to striking teachers and a stern warning to political actors.
In a press statement issued on October 10, 2025, UNEB acknowledged the industrial concerns of teachers but pleaded with them to temporarily suspend their action for the sake of the candidates. The Board stated:
“The Board takes note of the concerns of the teachers leading the industrial action. The Board, however, requests that the teachers do not tag the supervision of national examinations to the industrial action. We ask for their indulgence to accept and join us for a few days of the conduct of candidates…”
The press statement signed by UNEB Executive Director Dan Odongo, highlights the critical need for an orderly examination environment, which teachers are crucial in maintaining. The 2025 UCE examinations will be conducted in 4,308 centers across the country at a time when politicians are campaigning for leadership positions ahead of the 2026 general elections.
Caution Against Political Interference:
Beyond the industrial action, the examination body also took a firm stand against political activities that could destabilize candidates. The Board cautioned all those contracted to participate in the examinations—including supervisors and invigilators—to “desist from active involvement in political campaigns for the time they will be supervising the examinations.”
Furthermore, the statement addressed political aspirants directly, calling upon them “to avoid carrying out political rallies from school play grounds so as not to destabilize the candidates writing their examinations.”
Increased Candidature:
The 2025 UCE examination will see a significant increase in candidate numbers. A total of 432,159 candidates are expected to sit, marking a 12.1% increase compared to last year’s candidature of 379,748.
The breakdown of candidates shows that 52.7% are females, while 47.3% are males. Additionally, the Board reported that Six Hundred and Seventy-Nine (679) candidates are designated as Special Needs Education (SNE) candidates, for whom UNEB is employing 190 support personnel.
The Board concluded by reminding all stakeholders that the examination’s purpose “is to assess the candidates’ level of achievement and not to fail the learners.”