LIRA CITY – The Archbishop and General Overseer of the National Fellowship of Born Again Pentecostal Churches in Uganda, Bishop Dr. Moses Odongo, has warned candidates preparing for this year’s national examinations against seeking supernatural powers from witchcraft, urging them instead to place their trust in God and the knowledge acquired from their teachers.
Bishop Odongo made the strong appeal on Saturday, October 3, 2026, while presiding over a dedication prayer service for Senior Four and Senior Six candidates of St. Gracious Senior Secondary School at its Main Campus in Boke Ward.
“Believe in yourselves and have confidence in the knowledge you have received from your teachers,” Bishop Odongo told the candidates. “Do not believe in anything else apart from God’s guidance. Desist from seeking power from witchcraft to help you in exams. Trust in God alone.”
The prelate, who also emphasized discipline as a cornerstone of success, led the dedication of a total of 1,092 candidates drawn from both the Main Campus and the Leo Atubo Campus.
In a speech that highlighted the school’s rapid academic rise, Principal Martin Ojok Anyuru revealed that St. Gracious Senior Secondary School is committed to providing high-quality education with excellent performance at both national and international levels.
Anyuru disclosed that in the 2025 examinations, the school sent 53 students to university on national merit — a figure he described as modest compared to the institution’s ambitions.
“Our target is to send 10,000 students to university on national merit,” Anyuru declared, signaling the school’s determination to become a dominant force in Uganda’s education sector.
The Chairperson of the Board of Governors, Dr. Professor Maruon Eton Rashid, who also addressed the candidates, called on them to remain disciplined and self-confident, cautioning them against undermining the knowledge imparted by their teachers.
“Remain disciplined and have self-confidence,” Eton advised. “Do not have low confidence in the knowledge you have received from your teachers. Believe in yourselves.”
Eton commended Dr. Patrick Olet, the Director of St. Gracious Senior Secondary Schools, for bringing affordable education at national and international standards to the people of Lango and beyond.
The dedication ceremony, attended by students, parents, teachers, and religious leaders, was characterized by prayers, worship, and words of encouragement. It served as a spiritual send-off for the candidates as they brace for the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCC) and Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) examinations.
The event underscored the school’s holistic approach to education — one that blends academic excellence with spiritual and moral formation — as it positions itself as a leading center of learning in the Lango sub-region and Uganda at large.
As the candidates return to their books, the message from both the pulpit and the school administration remains unequivocal: trust in God, stay disciplined, and believe in the knowledge you have acquired.
