By Mike Rwothomio

Retired Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Dr. Henry Luke Orombi, has commended Sunrise Secondary School in Nebbi for its outstanding performance in the 2025 Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) examinations, describing it as a pivotal achievement that has dispelled longstanding negative perceptions about academic excellence in the Greater Nebbi area.

Speaking as the school's patron during a Thanksgiving service held at the institution on Saturday, February 22, 2026, Archbishop Orombi praised the school for producing the top-performing candidate in the West Nile sub-region, Emmy Mungacel, and for securing the second position among the top 20 best-performing schools in West Nile.

"You have taken away the shame on us. People used to say nothing good comes from Nebbi, you have proven them wrong," Orombi stated.

"This time, you have sprinted towards success." He further expressed gratitude, noting, "I want to thank God for Sunrise because it has given us much hope."

The event drew hundreds of attendees, including parents, alumni, staff, religious leaders, and local stakeholders, serving as a celebration of sustained academic growth .

According to official 2025 UCE rankings from the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB), Sunrise Secondary School achieved a strong performance, placing second in West Nile with approximately 43% in key performance metrics , based on grade distributions, behind St. Andrews College Moyo (59%) and ahead of St. Daniel Comboni College Nebbi (42%) and Ediofe Girls SS (42%).

Sunrise secondary school.

The school's standout student which are the second cohort of Uganda's competency based curriculum is Emmy Mungacel, emerged as the best candidate across West Nile, scoring 6As, 2Bs, and 1C. Other notable performers included female students Yik Paa Rwoth Nobble (4As, 4Bs, 1C) and Jalar Aamon (3As, 5Bs, 1C).

Headteacher Denis Ocaki presented a detailed analysis of the results, attributing the success to thorough preparation, strategic study habits, consistent revision, effective time management, and active engagement in classroom instruction under the competency-based curriculum.

"This excellent performance puts us in a distinctive position across the region," Ocaki said.

School proprietor John Ongwech emphasized the integration of moral and ethical values, such as reverence, ethical grounding, and moral integrity grounded on "fear of God" to foster motivation, resilience, and long-term succes.

Stakeholders credited the school's rise as a regional academic leader to multi-stakeholder collaboration, including robust school governance, dedicated teaching staff, active parental involvement, and learner-centered approaches.

The 2025 UCE results, released by UNEB on February 13, 2026, reflect broader national gains under the competency-based system, with a record 99.69% pass rate (428,628 candidates qualifying for the certificate) and a sharp decline in failure rates to 0.31% from 1.9% in 2024.

Students reacts

Mungacel Emmy attributed his success to hard work, moral grounding, and strong teacher coordination, urging peers to emulate the same dedication.

Fellow top performers Yik Paa Rwoth Nobble and Jalar Aamon highlighted the invaluable support from teachers and parents.

Established in 2007, Sunrise Secondary School has consistently produced top-performing students in the UCE examinations. However, because the school previously offered only O-Level, many of these high-achieving students had to transfer to other schools to pursue their Advanced Level studies.

This year, the school is pleased to announce the opening of its A-Level section thus allowing students to complete their Advanced Certificate of Education at the School.

Headteacher Ocaki stated, “We have finally opened the A-Level section for our learners. For too long, we have produced some of the best-performing students only to see them join other schools. This change ensures our talented students can continue their education in a familiar and supportive environment without being ‘wasted’ elsewhere.”

Located just 1km along the Nebbi-Pakwach Road in Nyangam Upper Cell, Nyarwodhu Ward, Thatha Division, Nebbi Municipality, Sunrise Secondary School, a private institution, has over the years shown consistent improvement through collaborative efforts among leadership, staff, learners, and the community.

Archbishop Orombi pray for students at the Thanksgiving prayers.

Mike Rwothomio is news editor at zoomer Africa your number one grassroot information hub