





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

Intellectual Property Pushes for Stronger Brand Protection in Uganda’s Creative Sector
Uganda’s creative sector received a powerful call to action last week, on September 18, as Mr. Robert Mugabe, Commissioner of Intellectual Property, officially opened the country’s first-ever Brand Protection Symposium at the Uganda Business Facilitation Center (UBFC), Kololo.
Organized by URSB in partnership with Grooming a Successful Woman with an Intellectual Mind (GSWIM) and the Pearl of Africa Fashion Alliance (PAFA), the symposium carried the theme “Protect Your Creativity – Register Your Trademarks and Designs.”
It convened more than 250 designers, entrepreneurs, and creative stakeholders to explore how intellectual property (IP) can secure livelihoods, stimulate innovation, and drive Uganda’s creative economy forward.
In his opening remarks, Commissioner Mugabe commended participants for their strong turnout, likening IP protection to safeguarding treasure. “We are here today not just for a symposium, but to learn how to protect our designs. Like gold, when you don’t protect it, you risk losing its value. The same applies to your creative work; it must be safeguarded to benefit you and generations to come,” he said.
He emphasized that the main objective of the symposium was to equip designers with practical knowledge on trademark and design registration, ensuring their creativity translates into sustainable business growth.
The event marked efforts toward strengthening Uganda’s fashion and creative industries, setting the tone for continued dialogue on intellectual property as a catalyst for national development.