





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

Enhancing patent expertise: Successful training on substantive examination at ARIPO
From 19th to 30th May 2025, two patent examiners from the Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) underwent a crucial training on the Substantive Examination of Patents at the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation (ARIPO) headquarters in Harare.
This intensive 11-day programme focused on essential skills in both formality and substantive examinations of patents and utility models, covering key areas such as novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability.
The training was timely, responding to a notable increase in global patent filings, which rose by 2.7% in 2023, particularly in medical technologies and pharmaceuticals, as reported by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
In Uganda, the government has intensified its focus on the pathogen economy, establishing a pathogenic biosciences industrial park in Nakasongola to accelerate vaccine and medication development for its population.
To support these initiatives, the bureau supported its biochemistry examiners to enhance their capacity in
substantive examination of life sciences-related innovations. While these examiners have undergone internal training and courses through WIPO and the European Patent Office (EPO), the ARIPO training provided invaluable hands-on experience.
Director General Mr. Bemanya Twebaze expressed his appreciation to URSB for its commitment to improving patent examination standards in Uganda. This training not only strengthens the capabilities of examiners but also aligns with national efforts to promote innovation and support the growing life sciences sector.