Police arrest Buluge SS directors over candidates’ examination lockout

19 October 2026, 5:26 pm

By our reporter

Lira City — Three senior administrators of Buluge Senior Secondary School are facing legal scrutiny after being arrested by police on Friday for allegedly preventing Senior Four candidates from sitting their Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations over unpaid school fees.

North Kyoga Regional Police Spokesperson SP Jimmy Patrick Okema confirmed the arrests, identifying the suspects as headteacher Jokene Dickens, bursar Marion Ogweng and deputy director Darmoi Bob.

Police action and legal proceedings

According to police, the three were arrested and taken to Ojwina Central Police Station in Lira City West Division before being released on police bond.

Case files containing their statements have been compiled and forwarded to the Resident State Attorney (RSA) for guidance on further legal proceedings.

“It is quite unfortunate, but this has been a strong warning that we have been giving to school heads: it is not proper to chase a student away,” SP Okema said.

A future interrupted for candidates

The school management’s actions have left the affected students in a difficult position. By the time the dispute emerged, some core examination papers had already been sat and concluded, meaning the students missed their opportunity to sit the current examinations. As a result, they will have to wait until 2027 to repeat the academic year.

Police stressed that preventing students from sitting examinations can seriously jeopardise their future and cautioned school administrators against penalising learners over outstanding school fees. Authorities urged school administrators to engage directly with parents over unpaid fees rather than disrupt students during national examinations.