Mathew Bukenya, the former Executive Secretary of the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), passed away on Sunday night at the age of 90. His death was confirmed on Monday, July 22, by UNEB Spokesperson Jennifer Kalule.

Bukenya, who had retired from UNEB on March 31, 2016, was initially called out of retirement in 1997 to lead the organization. Before taking on the role of Executive Secretary, he had served as an accountant within the organization. He succeeded David Livingstone Ongom, who had been dismissed by the government.

At the time of Bukenya’s appointment, UNEB was facing significant challenges with widespread examination malpractices.

His leadership marked a period of substantial improvement for the board. Bukenya and his team implemented several key reforms to address these issues, including measures to conceal the identities of examiners and the dismissal of those who revealed their identities.

Additionally, they discontinued the practice of ranking the best students by district to mitigate unhealthy competition among schools.

During his tenure, Bukenya led UNEB for over 17 years, a period during which the organization saw notable progress in maintaining the integrity of national examinations.

His leadership extended well beyond the mandatory retirement age for public sector employees, underscoring his significant contributions to Uganda’s education system.

Mathew Bukenya’s legacy at UNEB is marked by his efforts to combat examination fraud and his commitment to upholding the standards of education in Uganda.