Phiona Atim, the Inspector of Schools for Gulu City, has been arrested following the disappearance of Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) results for 103 candidates. The missing results pertain to Pope Francis Secondary School in Pece-Laroo division, which Atim owns.
Aswa West Police region spokesperson David Mudong Ongom confirmed Atim’s arrest on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. The arrest was prompted by a petition from the affected candidates and their parents during a meeting with the Resident City Commissioner (RCC) and other officials on the same day.
During the meeting, Gulu RCC Jane Francese Okili requested an explanation from Atim regarding the circumstances surrounding the withholding of the candidates’ results by the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB). Atim’s response reportedly failed to satisfy Okili, leading to her arrest.
The missing results, associated with centre number U3583, vibe GEF 004/2024, were expected to be released by UNEB on Thursday, February 15, 2024. Atim provided a statement regarding the missing candidates’ results at the Gulu East Division Police Station.
Following Atim’s arrest, Okili instructed the city education officer, Richard Irwenyo, to visit UNEB headquarters in Kampala to ascertain the reasons behind the withheld results.
Prior to Atim’s arrest, on Monday, the affected candidates and their parents had protested at the school, demanding the release of the results. This incident has caused significant concern and raised questions about the integrity of the examination process and the responsibilities of educational authorities in ensuring the smooth conduct of examinations and timely release of results.
