





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 Empowers Over 250 Designers at Landmark Brand Protection Symposium
The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), in partnership with Grooming a Successful Woman with an Intellectual Mind (GSWIM) and the Pearl of Africa Fashion Alliance (PAFA), held Uganda’s first-ever Brand Protection Symposium last Thursday, September 18, at the Uganda Business Facilitation Center (UBFC), Kololo.
Themed “Protect Your Creativity – Register Your Trademarks and Designs,” the event brought together more than 250 designers, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders from the fashion and SME sectors to explore how intellectual property (IP) rights can safeguard livelihoods, spur innovation, and strengthen Uganda’s creative economy.
Speaking at the event, Ronnie Nsubuga of PAFA underscored the urgency of protecting creative work. “Fashion designers and others in the creative space are going through a lot. One of the biggest challenges they face today is infringement on their brands and creative work,” he said.
He urged designers to start protecting their ideas as early as the sketching phase, adding that the strong turnout reflected the industry’s hunger for growth and change.
James Wasula, Chairperson of GSWIM, emphasized that IP should be treated as a business asset rather than a legal technicality. “You may create a beautiful design, but without protecting it, it’s vulnerable. Anyone can snatch and take it,” he cautioned.
The symposium marked a milestone in efforts to professionalize Uganda’s creative sector, with organizers pledging continued support to empower young designers and entrepreneurs in brand protection and business growth.