Mathew Bukenya, the former Executive Secretary of the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), has passed away. His death was confirmed by UNEB Spokesperson Jennifer Kalule this morning.
Bukenya, who retired from UNEB on March 31, 2016, had a remarkable tenure at the organization.
Initially called out of retirement in 1997, Bukenya led UNEB with distinction, having previously served as an accountant. He took over from David Livingstone Ongom, who had been dismissed by the government.
At the time, UNEB faced significant challenges with widespread examination malpractices. Under Bukenya’s leadership, the board made substantial progress in addressing these issues.
During his tenure, Bukenya’s team introduced measures to conceal the identities of examiners and dismissed those who revealed their identities. They also ceased the practice of ranking the best students by district to reduce unnecessary competition among schools.
By the time of his retirement, Bukenya had led UNEB for over 17 years. His legacy in transforming UNEB and ensuring the integrity of examinations in Uganda will be remembered.
