





Chief Guest Dr. Mary Teopista (Center), Amb. Francis Butagira, Registrar General Ms. Mercy K. Kainobwisho and URSB board members pose for a photo at the URSB ISO Certification External Stakeholders celebration
Hon. Nobert Mao congratulates the Registrar General, Ms. Mercy K. Kainobwisho, and Board member, Ms. Lydia A. Sekkabira on the ISO 9001:2015 certification milestone
Mr. Hamidu Tumuhimbise, a senior Registration Officer, attends to a client during the UEB claimants exercise at the Uganda Business Facilitation Center, Kololo
A delegation from PACRA led by the Deputy Registrar Mr. Chewe Peter Chilufya (Center) visited URSB for a 3 days benchmarking visit on the Intellectual Property Registry on how systems operate, the digital improvements implemented and how these reforms contribute to reduced turnaround time
A delegation from UNOC visits URSB to benchmark on the Digital Transformation Journey.
Director General WIPO Mr. Daren Tang, Minister of Justice Hon. Nobert Mao, The Registrar General Ms. Mercy K. Kainobwisho, URSB Board members a delegation from WIPO pause for a photo at the Uganda Business Facilitation Center during the DG’s mission to Uganda

URSB Registrar General outlines Agency’s vital role in Uganda’s business environment
The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) Registrar General, Ms. Mercy K. Kainobwisho, highlighted the organisation’s expansive role in facilitating private sector growth and improving Uganda’s investment climate during a recent Business and Innovation Forum for commercial attachés in Uganda at the URSB headquarters in Kololo.
The forum, which hosted distinguished foreign diplomats, ministers, URSB board members, and government representatives, aimed to showcase URSB reforms and innovations, engage with the diplomatic community, and promote Uganda as an investment destination.
In her remarks, Ms. Kainobwisho explained that URSB, which was established in 1910, serves as the official custodian of critical business and legal documents dating back more than a century. While civil registration responsibilities were transferred to the National Identification Registration Authority (NIRA), URSB maintains extensive records including private company registrations, name changes, and legal documents.
“We hold valuable information on movable property, company insolvency, liquidation proceedings, and bankruptcy cases,” the Registrar General explained. “Our intellectual property records include trademarks, patents, designs, and utility models dating back to the 1960s.”
The Registrar General emphasised URSB’s public service role, noting that citizens engage regularly with the information under their stewardship. “Our systems help verify critical business and legal information that impacts daily transactions,” she stated.
URSB maintains regional offices throughout Uganda to provide in-person services to citizens and foreign visitors. The agency continues to serve as a cornerstone of Uganda’s business registration and intellectual property infrastructure.