Eastern Region's quiet risers: Jinja, Mbale and the schools to watch

For years the conversation about top schools rarely strayed east of the Nile. The 2025 results suggest that is a habit rather than a fact. Schools in Jinja, Mbale and Tororo posted gains that, compiled district by district, narrow the long-standing gap with the central belt.

The risers are a mix: revived old colleges, ambitious newer private schools, and a few mission-founded institutions that never lost their footing. What they share is a regional pull that keeps strong pupils close to home rather than exporting them to Kampala, and the early signs of a virtuous circle as results draw the next intake.