WE ARE COMING FOR YOU! Police Issues Tough Warning to School Heads Diverting or Charging Exorbitant UNEB Registration Fees

School heads who fail to submit examination registration fees collected from learners to the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) will face criminal charges, police has warned.

Authorities say they are increasingly concerned about reports that some schools receive registration money from candidates but allegedly divert the funds instead of forwarding them to UNEB, putting students at risk of missing crucial national examinations.

Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke has now delivered a strong message to headteachers and school administrators, urging them to ensure that all registration fees are handled transparently and remitted to the examinations body without delay.

“Please, if you receive money of a candidate or potential candidate for registration, remit it to where it is supposed to go, that is UNEB,” he said.

Rusoke said law enforcement agencies have grown frustrated by recurring complaints involving learners whose registration is jeopardized after schools allegedly misuse money entrusted to them.

“We are tired of incidents where students give you money and you misappropriate it. Don’t eat the money. Don’t misappropriate it,” Rusoke warned.

He stressed that police would not hesitate to pursue those responsible, saying school officials found diverting candidates’ funds should expect firm action from authorities.

“We shall arrest you. We are coming for you. We shall not entertain excuses. We shall throw you behind bars,” he said.

According to Rusoke, the impact of such actions goes far beyond financial misconduct, as affected learners can lose an entire academic year through no fault of their own.

“It is not okay to get these young souls wanting to have their future and then destroy their entire year,” he said.

The police spokesperson further noted that many of the affected learners are children preparing to sit their first national examination, making the issue even more serious. “An average PLE candidate is 12 or 13 years,” he said.

Beyond the alleged diversion of registration funds, Rusoke also raised concern about schools imposing unauthorized charges on candidates during the registration process.

He reminded school administrators that registration fees are governed by official guidelines and warned against creating additional costs outside the approved framework.

“Schools setting their own fees in registration is illegal, and in any case, report the matter to police,” Rusoke said.

Police have now called on parents, guardians and members of the public to report any school suspected of charging illegal registration fees or failing to remit candidates’ money to UNEB, warning that offenders will face the full force of the law.

You can read Uneb Guidelines for Registration for PLE, UCE, UACE Candidates as Deadline Draws Near HERE.