Be courageous to succeed, Bishop Andaku tells 2026 UCE candidates
Senior Four and Six candidates dedicated ahead of the national examinations. Photo Credit; Matata Benzamin
ARUA – The Bishop of Madi West Nile Diocese, Rt. Rev. Dr. Charles Collins Andaku, has urged candidates at Ushindi Secondary School to remain strong, courageous, work hard and believe in their ability to excel in the 2026 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations and A level’s UACE under the new curriculum.
Bishop Andaku made the call on Independence Day during a series of activities at the school in Arua District. The events included the dedication of examination candidates, the launch of a new school bus worth UGX 720 million, the confirmation of 21 students into the Anglican faith, the handover of ICT equipment and the commissioning of a classroom block worth UGX 398 million.
He encouraged the candidates to combine courage, prayer and hard work, drawing lessons from the Bible to emphasise the importance of faith and determination in achieving success.
“Being strong and courageous in what you want to pursue. Friends, life is full of pressure that require strength and courage. It only takes for people who have strength and courage to succeed. You can’t succeed if you’re a coward.” Bishop Andaku said.
Andaku noted that some students lose confidence because of their previous academic performance, particularly in mock examinations. However, he urged them not to let past failures determine their final results, saying they could still improve through hard work, determination and a positive attitude.
“This school has been known for good results, and you are to continue with your good results. And you are tasked to succeed, not to fail. You may be fearing that you are not going to succeed, but the message here is: be strong and be courageous. God can use an ordinary person to overcome His extraordinary purpose.”
Ushindi Secondary School has registered 107 candidates for the 2026 UCE examinations and 61 candidates for the Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE).
According to the national examination timetable, Senior Four candidates began with briefing on Thursday, October 8, and are scheduled to start their written examinations on Monday.
The school’s head teacher, Patrick Vita, said the candidates were adequately prepared for the examinations and expressed optimism that they would achieve good grades.
“And we are one of the best performing schools, not only in West Nile but in Northern Uganda. And so we are trusting God that these results will be great.” The head teacher said.
“We’ve done a number of other exams in preparation and has given us a positive analysis on our performance for this year.”
He expressed optimism that the S.6 candidates will perform better too.
“But our senior six, like any other senior six class, is sitting for USCE under the new curriculum for the very first time. You can’t be sure how this will turn out, but we have done our part. At least we know what they have is the best that we could give them. So we trust God for the very best.”
Some Senior Four candidates expressed confidence, saying the Bishop’s words of encouragement reflected what the school had taught them.
Sheba Aleni, a female candidate, said, “I’m very ready, because we have had enough seminars. We have revised also.” She expressed.
“Though we are a little nervous, but we believe we shall make it. The Bishop’s prayer is very encouraging to us. Despite the fact that we assume confidence is too much, we cannot be so sure because sometimes we enter the exams room when we are very nervous. But that was a very good encouragement to us.”
For Almond Feta, the readiness is evident. “I’m very much sure that I’m ready.” He said,
“To my other candidates in other schools or within the same school, I encourage us to put our trust in God as we end the race and work harder to excel.”
Opileni Devine Pillar, a Senior Six candidate, said preparations for their November examinations are in high gear, with the school organizing multiple seminars and discussions to promote academic excellence.
“Being the pioneers of the new curriculum, it has not been an easy journey all along, and there have been a lot of things that are fixing back and forth. And we still have seven pending seminars. That is why I say I’m up to 80% but our teachers have done their very best in preparing us for the exams.” She said
Opileni, who aspires to become a civil engineer, said she plans to use her vacation to practice the skills she has acquired at school as she awaits university education.
“And after here, I want to make productive use of my vacation, attain skills as I wait for my results, and see to it that I do not live an unproductive life. Even that can be a good time for me to actually do project work without limit of time.”
Ushindi Secondary School was among the best-performing schools in West Nile in the 2025 UCE examinations. The school currently has an enrolment of 654 students, raising expectations for another strong performance this year.