According to information obtained from the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), Nabahinda Cecilia and Nakiyimba Grace, who were sitting their examinations at Masaka Hall, were caught using smartphones during an afternoon exam to access AI-generated essays and summarized notes.
Two
senior six candidates in Masaka City have been implicated in an examination
cheating scandal involving artificial intelligence (AI).
According
to information obtained from the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), the students Nabahinda Cecilia and Nakiyimba Grace, sitting their examinations at Masaka Hall, were caught using smartphones during an afternoon exam to access
AI-generated essays and summarized notes.
Jennifer
Kalule, the UNEB Spokesperson, said that one of the students reportedly
downloaded an essay using an AI tool, while the other had stored notes on her
device, circumventing exam regulations. The police are now investigating the
incident as part of a broader crackdown on exam malpractice.
The
incident occurred on the first day of the UACE examinations, which began on
Monday. While it wasn’t the first time UNEB has caught a student with a phone
during an exam, it was the first known instance of candidates using popular
artificial intelligence apps to cheat on a national examination in Uganda.
According
to the UNEB Act, candidates are strictly prohibited from bringing any foreign
materials into the exam room, including mobile phones or any other
communication devices, as well as receiving external assistance during the
exam.
These rules are clearly outlined in the General Instructions and the Caution
Against Malpractice document provided to all students during the
pre-examination briefing.
Meanwhile,
a similar incident occurred in Kenya just five days ago during the Kenya
Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams, which is equivalent to
Uganda's Senior Four exams. In that case, candidates were also caught with
smartphones during the examination, raising concerns over the growing use of
mobile devices for cheating in national exams across the region.
In
a separate but related case, the Police arrested more than five teachers in
connection with the unauthorized possession and distribution of materials
believed to be UNEB Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) papers, in violation of
the UNEB Act.
The
five arrested teachers include Ramathan Mugaga, 24, an invigilator at Kirinya
Primary School in Nakawa Division, Kampala; Ronald Tumuhimbise, 40, a teacher
from Kisoso Primary School in Masaka City; Nelson Otai, 31, a teacher from
Nansana Municipality, Wakiso District; Richard Katamba, 40, also a teacher from
Kisoso Zone, Kimanya, Masaka City; and Tom Kimanje, 30, a teacher from Kisoso
Zone, Kimanya, Masaka City.
According
to police reports, the implicated teachers were found in possession of digital
content related to the PLE exam, including papers for Mathematics, Science,
Social Studies, and English. Kimanje is also accused of sharing the materials
with the Director of Kisoso Primary School, who remains at large.
The
teachers are alleged to have shared the electronic content of what was believed
to be UNEB PLE Papers, including maths, science, SST and English on social
media platforms WhatsApp and Telegram. It is also said that the teachers
arrested from Kisoro Primary School were reading out answers to the candidates.
The suspects are scheduled to appear in Kira Magistrate’s Court to face charges of examination malpractice. The arrested join a group of fellow teachers, UNEB scouts, and invigilators who were arrested during the field conduct of the PLE in various parts of the country.
Senior
Four (S.4) and Primary Seven (P.7) candidates have completed their respective
examinations and are now awaiting assessment by UNEB. As these candidates wait
for their results, Senior Six (S.6) examinations have entered their second day.
According
to the time table, In the afternoon, candidates taking Arts will sit for
Economics Paper One, while those studying Science will sit for their Chemistry Practical
exams. Later in the afternoon, Arts candidates will take Economics Paper Two.
