A case of misguided students

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By Stephen Kafeero

The Rwandan Ambassador to Uganda H.E Frank Mugambagye has refuted claims attributed to Rwandan students who fled to Uganda in pursuit of asylum, that they were being conscripted into the M23 rebel group among others as baseless and ridiculous.

The diplomat who was speaking to the press at the Rwandan high commission in Kampala said that the 16 students who include 2 girls and 14 boys where part of a larger group of over 500 students who were found to have illegally registered for advanced level national examinations.

According to the examination rules and regulations by the Rwanda Examination Board the students were not eligible to register as full time school candidates in 2012 because they were not full time students.

The ambassador also stated that the students connived with officials of the 8 high schools and some of them with individuals who were helping them to prepare for the examinations. He said that they paid privately owned high schools an amount of money ranging from Frw 20,000 to 90,000.

“Blackmailing the government and institutions such that their results can be released is unacceptable, these students defrauded the system established by REB to sit exams and their results were consequently withheld after investigations,” said the diplomat.

The ambassador said that Rwanda had built a strong image all over the world and such things like the case ‘misguided’ students could not tarnish it.

He said that a big number of the affected students accepted the blame and have been advised on how they can proceed with their studies in an acceptable way. “These students (16) can only go back home and the solutions will be found there,” said the ambassador. He also said that they are currently engaging the government of Uganda on how to resolve the situation.