A visually impaired high school student who defied the odds to excel in national examinations, scoring 17 out of 20 points in the 2025 Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE), now faces uncertainty about his future due to financial constraints.
Posiano Tugumisirize (21), a student of Hornby High School in Kabale District, hopes his strong academic performance will earn him admission to law school, preferably at Makerere University.
However, Tugumisirize, a resident of Kigando Village in Nyakatokye Parish, Kagongo Division in Ibanda Municipality, remains unsure about his next step because of limited financial support. He studied History, Entrepreneurship and Divinity with ICT (HED/ICT).
Tugumisirize says his ‘A’ Level academic journey was challenging, largely due to financial difficulties. Tugumisirize also noted that the limited availability of learning materials tailored for visually impaired students affected his performance in some subjects.
He added that the lack of assistive learning devices made studying even more difficult, especially during school holidays when access to school resources was limited. Despite these challenges, he attributes his success to perseverance, hard work, and the support he received from teachers and fellow students.
Tugumisirize has now appealed to the government and well-wishers for support to enable him pursue his dream of becoming a lawyer.
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Hornby High School Deputy Head Teacher, Elizabeth Kiiza, commended Tugumisirize for his determination, noting that visually impaired learners often demonstrate exceptional focus and resilience in their studies.
She encouraged Tugumisirize and other visually impaired students who passed the examinations to pursue higher education, adding that they now have an opportunity to benefit from government sponsorship programmes.
A total of 30 students sat for the UACE examinations at the school. Kiiza attributed the improved performance to the learners’ hard work, determination, and commitment to their studies.
