Stop consulting witchdoctors ahead of PLE — priest warns parents
The priest encouraged students to cultivate kindness, compassion, and a spirit of forgiveness as they move forward.
Stop consulting witchdoctors ahead of PLE — priest warns parents
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As primary seven candidates gear up for their Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), parents across the country have been warned against consulting witchdoctors in search of knowledge for their children.
During a blessing ceremony for 45 primary seven candidates from Toto Adoa Nursery and Primary School on Monday, October 26, 2026, Fr. Michael Otim, the Parish Priest of Our Lady of Assumption Kyere Catholic Parish in Serere District, expressed concern about parents turning to witchdoctors out of desperation due to the hardships they face. He also cited residents who visit witchdoctors over crop failure and poverty.
“Some of the delays in my arrival here today were due to reports of spirits that remain tethered because these children’s parents sought out witchdoctors,” Fr. Otim explained.
He warned that seeking such evil alternatives could invite negativity and drive one's faith away. “It’s essential we break this cycle to ensure that our children receive blessings instead of curses from us, their parents,” he noted.
Speaking as the chief guest, John Stephen Ekoom, the Serere Resident District Commissioner (RDC), cautioned teachers against falling victim to scams involving individuals, who claim to sell PLE examination papers.
“What you have provided to the candidates is sufficient for them to succeed in their final exams,” the RDC asserted.
Ekoom emphasised that education is vital for the future and reassured candidates of their potential to succeed with self-belief and divine guidance.
Hellen Adoa, the school proprietor and former state minister for fisheries, encouraged parents to actively support their children’s education.
Adoa also called on fathers to attend school visitation days alongside mothers, saying this will foster more balanced involvement in their children's education.
She pledged to streamline the payment of school fees, ensure a balanced diet for learners, encourage pupils to pray in their respective churches, and continue to support some of the top-performing learners across her schools in Serere and Soroti Districts.
The former Serere District Woman MP emphasised that the political issues are behind her, and with a heart full of forgiveness, she is now focused on development of her schools.
David Alenyo, the headteacher of the school, urged parents to play an active role in their children’s lives after PLE to prevent issues such as teenage pregnancies and involvement in drug abuse.
Founded in 2012 under the name New York Primary School, the school currently has an enrollment of over 300 pupils and employs more than 21 staff members. The school registered 45 PLE candidates, who will be among the 920,833 candidates that the Uganda National Examinations Board registered nationally for the 2026 PLE (comprising 484,620 girls and 436,213 boys).