Mother of 3 commences UACE exams in Jinja
Mbeiza, who wants to be a lawyer, is offering entrepreneurship, Lusoga, Computer, and Divinity, a subject whose exam she started with on Wednesday (November 11).
Ruth Mbeiza (centre), a mother of three, lines up with other candidates for medical check-ups at Jinja Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Jinja City’s Northern Division on Wednesday. (Photo by Jackie Nambogga).
__________________ Ruth Mbeiza, a mother of three, sits her UACE examinations at Jinja Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Jinja City’s Northern Division on Wednesday. (Photo by Jackie Nambogga).
After giving birth to three children, Ruth Mbeiza realised that she needed to actualise her dream by deciding to complete her secondary education.
The 30-year-old mother enrolled for senior six at Jinja Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, located in Mafubira within Jinja city northern division, and she is among the 200 candidates writing their Uganda Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations at the school.
Mbeiza, who wants to be a lawyer, is offering entrepreneurship, Lusoga, Computer, and Divinity, a subject whose exam she started with on Wednesday (November 11).
During the first term, Mbeiza looked out of place after seeing herself much older than the rest of the girls. But her husband, Ivan Mutyaba, whom she prefers to call Papa, kept encouraging her to be herself and pursue her future dream.
Whereas she seemed shy at the beginning, Mutabuza said they counseled her to ensure that she fits in.
“She used to turn up in ordinary clothes and would put on her uniforms from school and when I inquired, I realised we needed to be flexible with her. She has been an obedient student,” he said.
Unlike other students whom they keep following up, Mutabuza said Mbeiza has always been prepared and focused.
How she juggles family and reading
Challenged how she was juggling her family affairs with books, Mbeiza, who is a day scholar, said; "on a daily, I wake up at 5:00am to start preparing my children for school. I then prepare and get on the road for classes."
Mbeiza said it was difficult revising from home because of the chores and other distractions like her children, but she later chose to remain at school until 9:00pm after preps to discuss with fellow students as well as consult her teachers.
Statistics
Mbeiza is among the 203,809 candidates across the country, who started writing their UACE examinations on Monday, November 9.
According to the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), this year's candidature has increased by 22.4 per cent from 166,400 candidates registered in 2025.
Of the candidates, 106,361 are male, representing 52 per cent, while 97,448 are female, accounting for 48 per cent.
The examinations are expected to be conducted at 2,986 UACE examination centres countrywide, according to UNEB's earlier 2026 registration projections.
The examinations will run until December 5, 2026.