





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

Designers Share Success Stories on Brand Protection at First-Ever Symposium
A lively panel discussion was one of the highlights of Uganda’s first-ever Brand Protection Symposium, held last Thursday, September 18, at the Uganda Business Facilitation Center (UBFC), Kololo.
Under the topic, “Driving Business Competitiveness through Brand Protection,” the discussion featured Brian Yesigye (CEO, Bravo Shoes), Ms. Dorothy Kimuli (Managing Director, D&M Group Ltd), Ms. Lillian Nantume (GSWIM), and Ms. Joan Nantege (Fashion Designer, PAFA).
It was moderated by Mr. Denis Nabende, Acting Principal Communications Officer at URSB.
Sharing his journey, Brian Yesigye said safeguarding his footwear brand was a turning point. “Registering Bravo Shoes gave me peace of mind. I could focus on growth knowing my designs and name were secure in the market.”
For Dorothy Kimuli, IP has been central to scaling her enterprise. “When clients trust that your brand is authentic, you build credibility. That trust translates into contracts, partnerships, and long-term competitiveness,” she explained.
Ms. Lillian Nantume emphasized mentorship and awareness. “Many young entrepreneurs don’t realize their creativity is a business asset. Protecting it is the first step to turning ideas into an enterprise,” she said.
Meanwhile, Joan Nantege spoke about challenges facing fashion designers. “Our designs are often copied. But once I registered my brand, I gained confidence to showcase my work internationally.” This has moved me places, she added.
The symposium, organized by URSB in partnership with GSWIM and PAFA, aimed to empower creatives to commercialize their ideas through formal IP tools, strengthening Uganda’s position in the global creative economy.