Persons who use social media
to disseminate leaked examinations will be held liable.
According to UNEB, the new provision in the law is aimed at stopping the use of
social media platforms to disseminate leaked or fake examinations.
In 2017, Primary Leaving Examinations- PLE and Uganda Certificate of Education
examinations were leaked on Watsapp after a school head in Iganga bribed a
guide at an examination storage facility.
Dan Odongo, the UNEB Executive Secretary says the new bill when passed will
address the gaps that the current law does not cover.
"The current law is weak. It is no longer relevant with the challenges we
face today as a board.
The new law is going to improve examination security. It is going
to address the use of social media and other challenges that we see as a board
as affecting the ability of candidates to sit for examinations," Odongo
said.
Odongo says that if the bill is passed and gazetted, the use of social media to
leak examinations will carry a minimum of five-year imprisonment.
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The bill if passed will also criminalize teachers and headteachers that carry
do not register candidates even after money for registration.
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In the last three years, many candidates have missed sitting for the national
examinations after the headteachers embezzled the money meant for registration.
The current 1983 UNEB act only has punitive measures for six offences. These
include; leaking of examinations, tampering/alternating work of candidates
during marking, damaging/destroying examination material, impersonation of
candidates, forging UNEB certificates and selling forged UNEB certificates to
assist in impersonation. All the six offences carry the same punishment of a
fine not exceeding 50,000 or a two-year jail sentence or both.
Once amended and gazetted, each offence will carry different punishments.
Odongo says in the law, some offences will carry a five million fine or even a
10-year jail sentence.
Pamela Mawanda
Freelancer