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The government has been urged to engage Burundi in setting up a Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) centre to support learners studying under Uganda’s curriculum.
A report by the Committee on Foreign Affairs, presented by Hon. Gabriel Okumu (NRM, Okoro County) on March 5, 2025, highlights that students in Burundi following Uganda’s education system currently travel to Uganda for UNEB exams, incurring high costs and psychological strain.
“The Ministry of Education and Sports, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, should engage the Burundi Government to formalize a UNEB examination centre. This will ease the financial burden on learners and encourage more schools in Burundi to adopt the Ugandan curriculum,” Okumu stated.
The Ministry of Education indicated that a UNEB centre is feasible if schools in Burundi meet set standards, including employing qualified head teachers and at least six teachers who meet Ugandan standards. Okumu also noted that the Minister of Education would need to issue a statutory instrument to legalize the centre’s operations.
Trade and Diplomatic Engagements in Burundi and Rwanda
The committee’s report on Uganda’s Embassy in Burundi also identified key areas for boosting trade, tourism, and investment. It recommended increased funding for Uganda’s mission to facilitate export promotion and initiate bilateral agreements in industrial development. Additionally, Uganda’s Embassy in Burundi was urged to strengthen collaborations with local tour operators and media to market Uganda’s tourist attractions.
In a related development, the committee’s oversight visit to Uganda’s High Commission in Kigali, Rwanda, noted a decline in trade due to the Uganda- Rwanda border closure between 2019 and 2022. Before the closure, Rwanda was Uganda’s fifth-largest export market, valued at Shs124.4 billion in 2019. However, Rwanda has since sought alternative markets and boosted local industries, reducing its reliance on Ugandan imports.
To restore trade, the committee recommended that Uganda’s Minister for Foreign Affairs urgently meet with their Rwandan counterpart to implement agreements made during the Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) in March 2023. Okumu emphasized that this engagement would help strengthen Uganda-Rwanda bilateral relations.