Parents of Senior Six students at Seeta High School, Mukono Campus, have raised Sh3 million to help a fellow parent’s daughter sit her Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations after financial difficulties threatened to end her academic journey. The student, whose identity has been withheld to protect her privacy, was struggling to clear her school fees after her mother’s business was affected by evictions linked to the enforcement of a trade order earlier this year. Despite her good academic performance, the family could no longer raise the money needed for her to sit the national examinations.
The parents’ intervention came after they learned that the girl risked missing the examinations she had spent seven years preparing for. Moved by her situation, members of the Senior Six parents’ committee decided to contribute towards her outstanding school fees, ensuring that financial challenges would not prevent her from completing an important stage of her education.
Ruth Nabayego Norah Tukahirwa, the chairperson of the Senior Six parents’ committee, said the decision was driven by the close relationship the parents had built over the years as their children progressed through school. She explained that they had followed the students’ academic journey together and could not stand by when one of their own faced the possibility of missing the examinations.
“Having moved together as parents for the past seven years, class by class, we felt her pain when we realised that she was about to miss the golden opportunity to sit the examinations she had worked for, including the COVID-19 period,” Nabayego said. She added that after discussing the matter on their parents’ platform, they agreed to raise money to help the struggling family. The committee eventually collected Sh3 million and handed it over to the school administration, clearing the way for the student to sit her examinations without the burden of the outstanding fees.
The money was handed over to the school’s headteacher, Boniface Ssebukalu, on Saturday, October 24, 2026, during prayers organised for Senior Six candidates ahead of their examinations. The ceremony was officiated by Fr Anthony Musaala of the Kampala Archdiocese, who commended the parents for showing commitment to their children’s academic and spiritual well-being. In his homily, Musaala said the parents’ presence and prayers were an important source of encouragement for the candidates as they prepared for their examinations.
“Your faith will help these candidates emerge victorious. Your presence also means you have given them parental blessings, and we pray that God helps them succeed when the results are released in February 2027,” Musaala said. He was accompanied by the school’s Catholic chaplain, Fr Peter Ntege, and the Muslim chaplain, who joined him in leading prayers for the candidates. The students knelt before the altar as prayers were offered, and they were later sprinkled with holy water as part of the blessing ceremony.
The event also provided an opportunity for the candidates to express their appreciation to their parents, teachers and school administrators for supporting them throughout their studies. The students entertained those present with dances and other presentations, creating a moment of celebration ahead of the demanding examination period. Beyond the Sh3 million contribution to the struggling student, the parents’ committee also rewarded top-performing candidates in the mock examinations, giving each selected student Sh100,000 to support their upkeep during the examinations.
At least five students who scored more than 18 points in the mock examinations qualified for the financial reward. Among them were Elijah Kitiibwa, who offers Physics, Technical Drawing, Mathematics and ICT; Pedro Ndemere, who takes Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and ICT; Vivian Rajji, who also offers Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and ICT; and Martha Nafula, who takes Geography, Economics, Technical Drawing and ICT. The parents’ actions have highlighted the importance of unity and compassion in education, showing how collective support can help students overcome financial barriers and pursue their academic dreams even when their families face unexpected hardships.
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