Kampala– The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC), through its Islamic Primary Leaving Examination (IPLE) Board, has released the examination results for pupils who sat for the examinations in early December 2025.
According to a report read to a mammoth crowd of registered school directors, headteachers, and parents at an event held at the UMSC courtyard on Monday, January 5, 2025, the Board Chairperson, Sheikh Ali Lukyamuzi, informed the gathering that the exercise was successfully conducted with only minor incidents in 450 examination centres across 68 districts nationwide.
The Chairperson noted that 19 pupils from Sumayya Junior School in Masaka did not sit for their examinations. A total of 7,759 candidates were registered and sat for Quran, Fiqh, Lugha, and Tarbia subjects under Islamic Studies.
The report highlighted achievements, including an increase in the registration of schools. However, it also pointed out several challenges such as insufficient funding, underground malpractices involving some teachers offering bribes to invigilators, and illegal acts of impersonation. Additionally, the Board decried negligence by some schools due to late submission or incomplete filing of forms with missing vital information.
“This always leads to significant delays in processing identification cards and certificates. We urge the headteachers to prioritize accuracy regarding the names, dates, and birth places,” Sheikh Lukyamuzi penned.
Thereafter, Sheikh Ismail Kazibwe, the Board Secretary, read out a detailed 36-page results booklet comprising the best-performed subjects, top ten male candidates, top ten female candidates, best schools with scored percentages, performance by district, and noted that the results of four pupils were withheld pending further investigations.
Shortly after the handover of the examination results to His Eminence Dr. Sheikh Hafiz Muhammad Harunah Bukenya, the Second Deputy Mufti, who represented His Eminence Dr. Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, the Mufti of Uganda and Chief Guest, Sheikh Bukenya made brief remarks. He expressed gratitude to the Examination Board and all stakeholders for the commitment and care exhibited in managing the examination processes.
He also thanked school directors, headteachers, parents, and learners for the trust they have in the Board. The Mufti urged stakeholders to intensify efforts to ensure that the Holy Quran is well taught to learners, noting that results indicated weak performance in the subject. He further urged all Ugandans to maintain peace and stability during the forthcoming elections.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Juma Bakhit Cucu, the UMSC Education Secretary, recalled the state of confusion before assuming office in 2016, attributing it to the absence of a centralized body to streamline Islamic studies examinations.
“There were various private associations each handling this sensitive responsibility as they wished. And we approached the Link Schools that readily agreed to cooperate and work under the UMSC while Uganda Quran Schools Association – Uqsa rejected the proposal,” Sheikh Cucu said.
He expressed gratitude to the IPLE Board for its tremendous efforts in managing examination systems and warned that any certificate not issued by the Board would not be recognized as authentic. He urged District Kadhis to ensure that all Madrassas and Tahfiz (Holy Quran memorization) centres in their respective areas are officially registered.
Sheikh Cucu further disclosed that UMSC Education is in the process of reviewing the curriculum from a grade-based system to a competence-based one. He also tasked the IPLE Board to spearhead the mobilization of funds to facilitate supervision of schools countrywide.
Present at the event were Hon. Counsel Haj Muhammad Ali Aluma, Deputy Secretary General in charge of Finance and Administration; Hon. Yaziid Katureebe, Secretary for Administration; and Dr. Muhammad Ssendagi, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Islamic University College (ICUC), among others.
