Kampala, Uganda: The Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) has issued a tough directive banning journalists and all unauthorized persons from accessing examination rooms and handling examination materials during the ongoing 2025 Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), citing the need to protect examination integrity and curb malpractice.
In a toughly worded public notice issued Monday via its socials, UNEB warned that no cameras, recorders, or phones will be allowed in any examination room or at points of paper distribution and collection, unless one has official written authorization from the Executive Director of the Board.
“No journalist or unauthorized person is allowed in the examination rooms. No cameras allowed. No recorders allowed. No phones allowed,” the statement reads. “If you don’t have an official letter from the Executive Director of UNEB, media coverage of examination materials, including at the point of distribution, is prohibited.”
Why the Ban?
UNEB says the ban is aimed at tightening security and ensuring a malpractice-free examination season, following incidents in previous years where unauthorized photography, live broadcasts, and recordings at examination centres compromised confidentiality.
Officials noted that while UNEB appreciates media interest in covering national examinations, security protocols supersede publicity, and any breach could expose exam materials or disrupt candidates’ concentration.
“This measure is not to restrict media freedom, but to protect the sanctity of national examinations,” an official at UNEB explained. “We are maintaining zero tolerance toward activities that could jeopardize the fairness of the assessment process.”
Accredited Access Only
Under UNEB guidelines, only media houses with written approval from the Executive Director may access designated areas, and even then, they are restricted to general reporting zones, not examination rooms.
Any journalist, official, or unauthorized person found in breach of these regulations risks arrest, prosecution, and revocation of accreditation under the UNEB Act (Cap 137, Section 25).
The warning comes as more than 800,000 candidates across the country sit for the 2025 PLE under heavy security and strict supervision.
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