The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has moved to calm fears among parents and candidates in Koboko District after recovering missing Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) Integrated Science scripts for learners of Bamure Primary School.

The scripts, belonging to 34 candidates, 18 boys and 16 girls from the November 4, 2025 PLE examinations, were discovered on February 1 inside a locked box at the school premises. Their absence had earlier resulted in the learners being temporarily awarded an “X” when PLE results were released on January 30, 2026, effectively blocking their selection and placement into secondary schools.

According to UNEB, the discovery followed routine quality control checks conducted before the release of national examination results. When the scripts could not be traced at the marking centres, the Board extended investigations to the school, leading to the recovery of a sealed envelope containing the missing papers.

“The sealed script envelope was found intact in the lockable box for UNEB materials in the office of the Headmaster,” UNEB said in a statement issued by its Principal Public Relations Officer, Jennifer Kalule-Musamba.

For transparency and verification, the envelope was first handed over to Koboko Central Police Station, which confirmed that it had not been tampered with. The scripts have since been transferred back to UNEB, and examiners have already been invited to mark and grade the affected candidates.

The incident sparked anger and anxiety among parents in the days following the release of results, with some staging protests at the school. One distraught mother lamented the money spent on school fees, while a pupil expressed fear that their academic future had been unfairly put on hold.

UNEB has now reassured all affected families that the situation is under control and that marking will be done expeditiously to ensure the candidates are graded in time for the ongoing selection and placement exercise.

“The Board reassures the parents and candidates of Bamure Primary School, and all concerned stakeholders, that the scripts will be marked urgently and the candidates graded in time,” the statement emphasized.

As police continue to investigate why the scripts were not forwarded to the marking centre in the first place, UNEB says safeguarding examination integrity remains a top priority, and no learner will be penalised for administrative lapses beyond their control.

We would like to assure the public that the previously missing Primary Leaving Examination (PLE) Integrated Science scripts for learners of Bamure Primary School, Koboko District, have been successfully recovered. The examiners have since been invited to mark the scripts, after… pic.twitter.com/2zvUULOJQf

— Uganda National Examinations Board (@UNEB_UG) February 3, 2026