Kampala; The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) joined the global community to celebrate World Intellectual Property Day 2026 under the theme “IP and Sports: Set, Ready, Innovate” at the Uganda Business Facilitation Centre in Kololo. The event brought together policymakers, innovators, students, broadcasters and leaders from Uganda’s sports fraternity to highlight the critical role of intellectual property (IP) in driving innovation, protecting talent, and unlocking economic value in sports.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Guest, Dr. Kedrace Turyagyenda, emphasised government’s commitment to transforming education through a competence-based curriculum.
“Government is steadily transitioning to a competence-based curriculum across all levels of education to foster practical, skills-based learning. This shift moves us away from purely theoretical knowledge and directly supports initiatives such as IP in schools, which nurture creativity and innovation from an early stage,” she noted.
Mr. Robert Kasande, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, commended URSB for its leadership in promoting innovation.
“A strong legal framework is essential for innovation, and through URSB, the Ministry is ensuring intellectual property systems effectively support Uganda’s economic growth.” he said. The Board Chairman, Rt. Hon. Amb. Francis Butagira, reaffirmed the Bureau’s strategic role in national development “As Uganda advances toward middle-income status, URSB remains committed to strengthening intellectual property systems, empowering creators, and ensuring that innovation translates into sustainable economic growth.” he affirmed.
Men this is for you
In her remarks, the Registrar General, Ms. Mercy K. Kainobwisho, reiterated URSB’s commitment to advancing the commercialisation of innovations. “In sports, talent alone is not enough, intellectual property is what turns talent into value. URSB is committed to ensuring athletes, clubs, and creatives can protect, commercialise, and fully benefit from their brands, innovations, and ideas.” she stated.
Speaking during media interviews at the celebrations, Rinaldi Jamugisa, PR and Communications Manager at MultiChoice Uganda, a Canal+ company, he emphasized the role of intellectual property in sustaining the global sports ecosystem.
“Intellectual property allows athletes, teams and nations to earn from their talent and hard work. When platforms like SuperSport secure rights to major events such as the FIFA World Cup, that investment flows back into the sport, supporting players, clubs and development at every level. When fans watch through legitimate platforms, they are supporting the future of the game,” he said.
“With the 2026 World Cup ahead, this will be one of the most expansive tournaments yet, with 10 African countries set to participate. We want Ugandans to experience every moment through world-class coverage,” he added.
The celebrations attracted heads of sports federations under the National Council of Sports, led by Hon. Moses Magogo Hassim, President of the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA), underscoring the growing intersection between sports and intellectual property. The event was climaxed by the University Court Moot Competition, which featured 11 participating universities. Islamic University in Uganda (IUIU) and Uganda Christian University (UCU) advanced to the finals, showcasing exceptional legal acumen and understanding of intellectual property law.
World IP Day serves as a platform to raise awareness on the importance of protecting creativity and innovation, particularly in dynamic sectors such as sports where ideas, brands, and talent drive economic value. As Uganda accelerates its innovation journey, URSB remains committed to ensuring that every idea is protected, every creator is empowered, and every innovation counts.
Radiomind Broadcast and the World Radio Day Summit, in collaboration with UNESCO, United Media, Vision Group, and other media associations and regulators, marked World Radio Day with a significant event highlighting radio’s impact on climate action, education, and community engagement. The summit took place on February 13, 2025, at Next Conference Center in Naguru, Kampala, featuring keynote speeches, panel discussions, and technology exhibitions from leading companies like LAWO from Germany and PRO AV Africa, led by Boaz Shani in Bugolobi.
Radio’s Role in Climate Action
UNESCO’s Director for East Africa, Ms. Louise Haxthausen, served as the chief guest alongside representatives from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), the National Association of Broadcasters, the Uganda Media Council, and other organizations. Their speeches emphasized radio’s importance in addressing climate challenges, providing reliable information, and combating misinformation.
Ms. Haxthausen highlighted how radio supports climate change mitigation, from early warning broadcasts to sustainable farming education. She also underscored UNESCO’s initiatives to ensure climate information remains credible and urged radio stations to collaborate with environmental experts to improve fact-based reporting.
Showcasing Broadcast Innovation
The event featured a cutting-edge exhibition on broadcast technology. LAWO presented advanced audio and video solutions for reliable radio broadcasting, while PRO AV Africa demonstrated its expertise in sourcing and supplying broadcast equipment in Uganda. These innovations are expected to enhance radio’s reach, even in remote areas.
Radio’s Impact on Climate Awareness
The summit shed light on the role of radio in climate awareness, especially in regions like Uganda’s Rwenzori area, where UNESCO’s programs help community stations spread environmental knowledge. These stations educate the public on sustainable resource management and conservation practices.
A critical issue raised was the growing risks faced by climate journalists. A UNESCO report revealed 749 attacks, including 44 killings, targeting environmental reporters from 2009 to 2023. The summit called for better protection for these journalists and recognized their crucial role in climate action.
A Call for Action in Broadcasting
As World Radio Day 2025 was celebrated, the summit urged radio professionals to prioritize accurate climate reporting, collaborate with experts, and engage communities in solutions. It also highlighted the need for media to hold industries and governments accountable for environmental harm.
Celebrating Radio’s Enduring Power
Proclaimed by UNESCO in 2011 and adopted by the UN in 2012, World Radio Day on February 13 continues to be a momentous occasion. This year’s event brought together radio professionals, technology leaders, environmentalists, and policymakers to reinforce the medium’s power in fighting misinformation, bridging the digital divide, and inspiring meaningful climate action.
Kampala: Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), the national business registry, has this morning launched its mass business registration campaign aimed at promoting formalization among entrepreneurs and small business owners.
This initiative seeks to simplify the registration process, raise awareness about the benefits of formalization, and drive economic growth. Dubbed “kiri easy, formalize today”, the initiative targets registering an additional 873,546 businesses by 2026/27.
Formalization plays a pivotal role in the success and sustainability of businesses. By registering their firms, and complying with legal and regulatory frameworks, businesses gain legal protection, access to financial services, and opportunities for growth. URSB’s mass business registration campaign aims to empower entrepreneurs and small business owners to transition from the informal to the formal sector.
Through streamlined procedures and targeted outreach efforts, this campaign will make the registration process more accessible and attractive to entrepreneurs. Leveraging technology and a user-friendly platform, the kiri easy campaign provides comprehensive support and guidance, ensuring a seamless and efficient experience for entrepreneurs. By simplifying the process, the campaign will increase reach of registration and encourage more businesses to formalize their operations.
The minister of Justice & Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Norbert Mao who was the keynote speaker said that by fulfilling its role in formalizing Uganda’s economy, URSB contributes to several key outcomes. “This initiative, which we are launching today, represents high expectations in our ongoing efforts to bolster economic growth, stimulate entrepreneurship, and enhance the ease of doing business in Uganda”
The Permanent Secretary and Secretary to the Treasury, Ramathan Ggoobi, said formalization encourages economic growth by attracting investments, stimulating entrepreneurship, and creating employment opportunities.
“This mass business registration initiative represents a positive step forward in our quest to make Uganda a hub of innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic prosperity. I am confident that it will unleash the untapped potential of our nation’s business community, driving economic growth, creating jobs, and improving the livelihoods of our people” he said.
Ambassador Francis K. Butagira, the Board Chairman said URSB continues to create awareness about the benefits of business registration to enhance the country’s competitiveness and drive private sector growth. “URSB will deploy tested means of mobilization of masses to embrace business registration. These involve camping in hard to reach business centers, or any other area where our physical office may not be able to provide the required registration support service”.
“Formalization is a critical step towards building a thriving business ecosystem,” said Mercy K. Kainobwisho, the Registrar General. “Our mass business registration campaign is designed to empower entrepreneurs and small business owners by providing them with the necessary tools, resources, and support to formalize their operations. By doing so, we aim to drive economic growth, enhance legal protection, and promote social and financial inclusion.”
The benefits of formalization extend beyond individual businesses. Formalized businesses contribute to increased tax revenues, improved business environments, and reduced informality. They create employment opportunities, attract investments, and stimulate overall economic development.
URSB is planning countrywide business registration clinics across the country in a bid to encourage entrepreneurs, small and medium enterprises to formalize their businesses and take advantage of the benefits of formalization. By registering their businesses, they can unlock opportunities for growth, access financial services, and contribute to the formal economy.
Kampala; As part of their annual corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative, the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) has donated various medical equipment to Kawempe National Referral Hospital in support of the government’s efforts to improve maternal health and child care services.
The donation was made in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Three (SDG-3) to accelerate the decline of maternal mortality by 2030. Kawempe Hospital presently receives over 4,000 pregnant women from all over the country and delivers an average of 60 babies per day, the highest in the country.
Items donated included digital ultrasound machines, baby scales, weighting scales, boxes of glucometer strips as well cartons of ultrasound gel which are all necessary items for safe delivery and child care.
Mercy K. Kainobwisho, the Registrar General handed over the donation on behalf of URSB.
“We believe it is every mother’s right to access good medical services as she goes through one of the best experiences life has to offer – bringing life into this world. From our assessment, we realized that service delivery at the hospital has been affected by inadequate medical equipment; the patient to medical equipment ratio in the Maternal and Child health is low, resulting in long queues and untimely service. In this regard, supplementing the existing equipment will improve service delivery by significantly reducing the amount of time spent in queues, and improving the patient ratios to accessibility of medical equipment in the Maternal and Child health Unit” She said.
Dr. Emmanuel Byaruhanga, the Executive Director of Kawempe Hospital said, some of the leading causes of maternal deaths in Uganda are hemorrhage, high blood pressure and infections that are largely preventable if detected early enough, with the right equipment.
“I want to thank our friends and partners from URSB for this contribution which will go a long way in supporting us to deliver healthy babies and ensure safe delivery for our mothers at Kawempe Referral Hospital especially at this critical time when infant mortality rates are on the rise,” Dr. Byaruhanga said.
According to the World Health Organization, while motherhood is considered a fulfilling natural experience, a high percentage of women face several challenges that cause them to suffer and in some cases, to die.
The maternal mortality rate in Uganda remains relatively high at 336 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to a 2020 UNICEF report.
The latest donation from URSB is in addition to the health and sanitation facility constructed for the over 900 pupils of Oleni Primary School in Arua District last year. URSB had also previously donated wheel chairs to physically handicapped pupils of Gulu Primary School in Gulu District.
Kampala; Insolvency practice has become global and dynamic in nature to the extent that, key players in the in insolvency practice require continued training and sensitization about new critical insolvency practical aspects.
Business has been identified as one of the biggest life bloods to Uganda’s economy. It creates jobs, increases productivity, and generates growth. Restructuring and insolvency is an essential part of this system and is vital for ensuring that the Uganda maintains its reputation as one of the best places in the East African Region to do business.
To support the strengthening of the Judiciary’s and Insolvency Practitioners capacity to handle and resolve insolvency disputes that are brought before respective courts, the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) together with Judicial Training Institute (JTI) organized a conference for Judicial Officers and Insolvency Practitioners under the theme ‘Emerging Trends and Practices: Building a Resilient Insolvency Regime’.
The two-day conference presented a platform to examine the new global insolvency aspects post the COVID-19 experience. The discussion equipped key players with the evolved innovative international insolvency best practices required for Uganda’s dynamic economy that is recovering from the pandemic. A panel of industry experts shared their views on what lies ahead for businesses and the practice of insolvency in a changing economic and regulatory environment.
Speaking at the conference, Hon. Norbert Mao, Minister of Justice & Constitutional Affairs said government had a deliberate effort to support financially ailing businesses. “It is essential to strengthen our capacity to handle and resolve insolvency matters whether before, or outside courts and where appropriate, support the revival of insolvent entities instead of dissolution” Hon. Mao said.
URSB Registrar General, Mercy K. Kainobwisho said Uganda’s economy was getting increasingly formalized, but also, business failure had become a reality. “Insolvency law has a breadth of options which if well implemented can reduce the rate of business failure, especially in the post COVID-19 pandemic era,” she added.
The Board Chairman, URSB, Ambassador Francis Butagira said following of the enactment of the Insolvency Act 2011 and the subsequent amendment of 2022, key provisions addressing the emerging trends of insolvency law practice were introduced. “A solid insolvency regime attracts investors into the country,” he added.
In furtherance of the insolvency practice, URSB has established an annual Insolvency & restructuring Journal of Uganda, which was also launched as part of the repository of knowledge and experiences of Insolvency Practitioners, Academia and other stakeholders in the insolvency regime.
Kampala ; Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that apply for trademarks, copyright and patent protection are more likely to experience high growth than SMEs that do not, according to Minister of Science, Technology & Innovation Hon. Dr. Monica Musenero. The Minister said this while delivering her opening remarks during the national workshop on intellectual property (IP) for small and medium enterprises in Kampala.
The two-day conference was organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in collaboration with Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) and the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO), with support of the Japan Patent Office (JPO) targeted policymakers, heads of IP offices, IP experts, SME owners and entrepreneurs.
The overall objective of the conference is to highlight the role of intellectual property as a policy tool for economic development, general IP awareness, value of IP for SMEs growth, Institutional IP policies and their implementation, technology transfer and appropriate technology.
“Intellectual property (IP) is your business tool to stand out from the crowd. It allows entrepreneurs like you to protect your innovations, enhance your creativity and investment in know-how and quality of your products” Hon. Musenero told participants.
The 2022 SME Scoreboard shows that nearly all (93 %) SMEs with registered IP rights experienced a positive impact, on their business. SMEs cited improved reputation or image of the company (60 %), better IP protection (58 %), and better long-term business prospects (48 %) due to registering their IP rights.
Mercy K. Kainobwisho, URSB’s Registrar General said SMEs for whom IP is an integral part of their business are more likely to become high growth firms. “IP rights are key economic assets in todays’ knowledge economy. That’s why SMEs need to build an IP strategy in the early stages of their development”. Kainobwisho said.
Ambassador FUKUZAWA Hidemoto, Ambassador of Japan to Uganda said IP is an indicator of good management of company. ” IP rights are essential for creating competitiveness for SMEs, and ultimately Africa’s sustainable growth” the Ambassador added
Emmanuel Rugomboka, Counsellor, Division of Africa, WIPO added that IP and intangible assets will help micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) navigate an innovation-driven business model that will support their sustainability.
Other discussions held to guide SME owners and entrepreneurs included hot topics such key highlights of Uganda’s National Intellectual Property Policy,2019, enhancing business competitiveness, trademarks, industrial designs and trade secrets as business tools, collective marketing, geographical indications, certification and collective marks, innovation management by SMEs and the importance of IP audits as well as leveraging technological innovation in the marketplace through patents and utility models.
Kampala; The vital work of enhancing business registrations and reduction of the informality by the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) has been praised by Norbert Mao, the Minister of Justice & Constitutional Affairs.
The minister made the remarks yesterday during the Board and Management teams’ visit to update the minister about URSB’s strategic plans, key achievements, updated and reformed laws and plans for the future.
The delegation was led by Board Chairman, Ambassador Francis Butagira and Registrar General, Mercy K. Kainobwisho.
Latest statistics show that 34,044 new companies and 53,180 business names were registered between December 2020 to September 2022, alongside 98,541 legal documents and 41,536 certifications.
3,311 local trademark applications were registered, while 2,752 civil marriages were recorded among other key registrations.
Hon.Norbert Mao, Justice & Constitutional Affairs Minister receives a compendium of laws from Amb.Francis Butagira, URSB Board Chair. Looking on is Mercy K. Kainobwisho, Registrar General
Speaking to the URSB team, Hon. Norbert Mao said he was impressed with URSB’s strides in supporting formalization of the economy through reliable registration services.
‘I applaud URSB for improving the business environment, making Uganda an attractive business destination and a catalyst for investment. I am aware you have made the processes and access to registration services easier’ the minister added. He added that URSB’s contribution on reforms and amendments made in line with the anti-money laundering laws which were passed by parliament and assented to by His Excellency the President had saved the country from being blacklisted.
He noted that with full implementation of the laws now taking place, companies will enjoy improved registration services which will also ease the entry and exit of companies due to the created business environment.
In turn, Ambassador Francis Butagira, the Board Chairman, stressed that URSB had adopted a futuristic strategic plan that prioritized innovation and creativity in services delivery that would maintain the vision of being the centre of excellence for registration services. He noted that the administrative ambition today is based on providing government services that meet the aspirations and keep tone with the government’s vision about improving the services of the public sector.‘
Our priority is to pursue initiatives through multi-faceted engagements to ensure we remain on course to increase formalization, enhance competitiveness through protection of intellectual property rights, stabilize family unions with easy marriage registrations while stewarding restructuring of entities by offering fast insolvency services. Our chattels registry has also been positioned to uplift usage of movable property as collateral for borrowing’ Ambassador Butagira told the minister.
The Registrar General briefed the minister about URSB’s key achievements including growth in non-tax revenue (NTR), decentralization of services and enhancement of sensitization to create awareness. URSB registered the highest ever NTR collection in a financial year, in 2021/2022, collecting UGX 57.04 billion, posting a surplus of 11.47 billion and growth of 40.8%.
‘From December 2020 to September 2022, URSB mobilized total NTR of Ugx 87.42 billion against a target of Ugx 81.68 billion, posting a surplus of Ugx. 5.74 billion’. Our all-digital, all-online strategy has enhanced service quality standards, bolstered services delivery and increased access to registration services’, Kainobwisho said.
URSB continues to make commendable contribution towards facilitating private and public sector development by enhancing easier, faster and timely registration services. Formalization of the economy is vital in increasing the tax base and supporting innovation while creating employment.
Arua; The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), has today, handed over a newly constructed health and sanitary facility to Oleni Primary School in Arua District.
The facility was constructed with funding from URSB and other partners to support the over 1,000 pupils whose only sanitary facility was run down posing a health challenge to the children’s wellbeing after the re-opening of educational institutions from the COVID-19 related lockdown.
Oleni Primary School pupils enjoy snacks provided during the commissioning of the ultra modern health and sanitation facility constructed by URSB
Initiated by the URSB Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Committee chaired by Vincent Katutsi, the project was executed together with partners; MMAKS Advocates, Byenkya Kihika & Co. Advocates, ORTUS Advocates, SIPI Law Firm, Grand Global Hotels, Remmings Foods, Almid Clean Services and Britannia Allied Industries under the URSB annual CSR community support initiative, with technical support from Arua District Local Government.
At a cost of Ugx. 21.5Million, the health and sanitary facility consists of 5 ventilated improved pit latrines (VIP); 2 for the male pupils and 2 for female and 1 for the physically challenged specifically designed to support easy access for disabled pupils. Additionally, a water tank was set up for hand cleaning after use.
Arua RDC Ham Ezama Muzamil (c), URSB Deputy Registrar General (in blue jacket) after commissioning the Health & Sanitation facility constructed for Oleni Primary School by URSB & partners
The ultra-modern facility was handed over today in a ceremony held at Oleni Primary School in Vurra County, Arua District, presided over by the Arua Resident District Commissioner (RDC), representatives of the District health, sanitation and education offices, local area leadership, school management committee and the URSB management led by Alex Anganya, the Deputy Registrar General.
In his remarks, the RDC, Ham Ezama Muzamil extended his appreciation towards URSB for supporting Government’s services provision efforts through extending their Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives to the primary school.
“Oleni primary school is supporting education of many school-going children in Awika parish and beyond. I, therefore, applaud URSB and its partners for choosing to support this school by constructing this VIP facility that will positively impact the health of the pupils,” said Ezama.
While handing over the facility, Alex Anganya, the URSB Deputy Registrar General expressed URSB’s commitment towards supporting Government initiatives to improve service delivery not only through registration services, but also uplifting the lives of the citizens in areas of operation.
Pupils of Oleni Primary School in a group photo with URSB staff and Partners during the handover of the health and sanitation facility
“Corporate social responsibility is a major component of our 5-year strategic plan as URSB. We believe that as a Government agency, giving back to the community in other ways creates shared value between us and the people we serve,” Anganya said, “We also thank our partners who worked with us to make the lives and education of these very young citizens better.” Anganya added
URSB on a yearly-basis has been identifying and supporting critical community needs in the areas of health, education, empowerment through their CSR initiatives.
In 2019, Gulu primary school physically challenged pupils in Northern Uganda were beneficiaries of this initiative where over 16 wheel chairs to aid their easy mobility to school, while in 2021, URSB provided scholastic items, food and vocational skills accessories to over 140 former street children under rehabilitation at Children Restoration Outreach in Mbale.
The Deputy Speaker of Parliament Rt. hon. Thomas Tayebwa met with a delegation from Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), led by the Registrar General Ms Mercy Kainobwisho.
The two parties discussed matters on Business registration and marriage certification in Uganda.
Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa called upon the URSB team to develop systems for business advisory in order to monitor progress and explore challenges surrounding business succession in the country, with a keen interest in why successful businesses collapse with their founders.
The Financial Year 2021/2022 closed off for the Uganda Registration Services Bureau on a high note. The Bureau surpassed their set targets by over 125% marshalled by improved economic recovery that is enhancing formalization away from the slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The varied social economic effects of the pandemic in the reporting period had a slow-down impact on most sectors, but strategic interventions reversed the negative trends setting pace for the super performance.
Registrar General, Mercy K. Kainobwisho (C), Deputy Registrar General, Alex Anganya (L), Board Secretary, Caroline Egesa (R) present an award to the Chattels team
Throughout this period, URSB continued to play its core role of formalizing the economy and facilitating private sector development and competitiveness by allowing many, individual businesses, micro, small & medium enterprises (MSMEs) join the formal sector. The Bureau remains committed to providing all necessary avenues to enable all economic and social enterprises join the formal sector.
Delivering our mandate & strategy
Through the financial year, the Bureau stayed on course with delivering on its mandate and services namely through; registration of companies and business names, registration of intellectual property rights, handling insolvency matters, registering marriages and propelling the use of movable property as collateral to access affordable credit through maintenance of the security interest in movable property registry system (SIMPO).
To curve out a clear direction in which to operate, the Bureau adopted its Strategic Development Plan III which is aligned to the National Development Plan III to support services delivery, increase uptake of registration services, innovation and technology development in Uganda. All these combined offered new options for supporting services delivery while enhancing efficiency across all operations.
URSB remains committed to the pursuit of socioeconomic transformation as envisioned in the country’s long-term aspirationsThe strategic objectives are strengthening legal and institutional framework to promote competitiveness, simplifying processes to ease registration, enhancing communication & awareness about URSB services and strengthening research and advisory services.
URSB Board Chair, Ambassador Francis Butagira (c) in a group photo with other board members and staff after the launch of the Front Office Application
Among the key milestones registered include the following;
Improvement in non-tax revenue (NTR) collections
The close of the 2021/2022 FY year saw an upsurge in NTR collections from 39.2bn last year to 57.04bn over a set target of 45.51bn representing an over 125% above target growth.
The growth in collections is attributed to strategic concentration on delivering quality services through the all-digital, all-online strategy that allowed clients to easily access responsive services from the comfort of their homes and offices, decentralization of services as well as targeted awareness and communications campaigns.
Formalisation of the economy
A total of 46,860 businesses and companies were registered, bringing the total number of formal entities to over 800,000. These registrations are a strong indicator of the economy’s steady recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic which is enabling private sector growth and economic competitiveness. 56,308 legal documents were also registered showing heightened commercial activities in the economy.
Supporting growth in innovations
The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in new improved ways of creativity to enable delivery of basic services. Enterprising Ugandans took to social-commerce to deliver goods during the lockdown while a number of innovations in the line of handling effects of the pandemic were created.
The growth of intellectual property innovations is in line with URSB’s mandate to protect, promote and commercialise these inventions while supporting groups like artists, book writers and inventors through trademark, utility models and patent registrations.
A total of 3,722 local trademark applications were registered and added on the IP registry.
Enhancing access to capital for small business
Through SIMPO (security interest in movable property registry system (SIMPO), over 12,000 borrowers especially from the vulnerable groups of small business owners including youth and women have accessed financing using their movable properties as collateral to gain capital.
The SIMPO registry was launched in 2019 to support the use of assets such as cars, electronics, farm and livestock, machinery as collateral to gain financing especially for micro small and micro enterprises who lack fixed assets like land which has been the norm while trying to access credit.
Decentralisation of services
To support easy access to services, URSB maintains branch offices in Mbarara, Masaka, Mbale, Arua, Gulu in addition to two branch offices to support the central region. This strategic placement has ensured that services are reachable.
This is coupled with participation in major engagements across the country using mobile services vans that have the capability of operating as mobile offices especially in the hard-to-reach areas.
In this reporting period, a new branch office was opened in Masaka to cater to the population in the region. Plans are underway to further extend services to the Albertine region and Jinja Municipality.
Leveraging technology and organizational talent
The Bureau continued with its aspiration with the all-digital, all-online strategy geared towards having all services online. Technology is credited for the growth of most of URSB’s services with online systems replacing manual modes of service delivery.
As the Bureau’s size and scale continues to grow, emphasis was placed on recruiting and training staff to support the vision. These interventions are bearing results with realization of the strategy and high impact goals. 90% of URSB services can now be accessed from the comfort of one’s home or office from Monday to Sunday.
Stakeholder engagements and Recognition
In August 2021, URSB together with Government of Uganda hosted the Africa Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) Diplomatic Conference on voluntary registration of copyrights & related rights at which the Kampala Protocol was adopted to support commercialization of artists rights across 21 countries on the continent.
In November, URSB also hosted the Corporate Registers Forum that brought together over 400 delegates form 60 registers across the world to discuss the Ease of doing business and the role of corporate registries.
Additionally, to support awareness on insolvency, the bureau hosted a 2-day conference for insolvency practitioners on emerging trends in corporate restructuring. The Insolvency conference was attended by Judicial Officers and Insolvency Practitioners from within the country.The Bureau was recognized for achievements and leadership in advancing vital services.
In May 2022, URSB was also the proud recipient of the Buy Uganda Build Uganda award for the most efficient service delivery agency, while in December 2021, URSB won the Commissioner General’s strategic partner’s award from Uganda Revenue Authority during the tax payers recognition ceremony and National Information Technology Authority’s E-service of the year award under the Justice, Law & Order Sector.
Stabilizing the family union
Family remains the first foundation of stability and URSB has committed to ensure all marriages are formalized and registered. Through continuous engagement of duty bearers, there has been a witnessed improvement in registration of all marriages with a 50% increase in registration of customary marriages, 59% increase in marriages celebrated by the Registrar of Marriages, growth in compliance by churches filing returns of marriages conducted.
Formalisation of family structures through registration of marriages strengthens government’s strategy of citizen inclusion in the money economy like disbursement of funds under the Parish Development Model which is geared towards stabilizing family incomes.
Appreciation
The Chairman of the Board of Directors, Ambassador Francis K. Butagira and the entire board, management led by Registrar General, Mercy K. Kainobwisho convey their appreciation to the Government of Uganda, the Attorney General, Hon. Kiryowa Kiwanuka, stakeholders, clients and the general public who continued to support the bureau and its mandate through the year.
Your continued support has enabled the furtherance of URSB’s strategic plan and achievement of varied milestones. We look forward to an impactful financial year 2022/2023.
URSB Board Chair, Ambassador Francis Butagira (c) in a group photo with other board members and staff after the launch of the Front Office Application