





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

Registrar General Ms. Mercy K. Kainobwisho Recognised Among Global IP Influencers
The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) congratulates Registrar General Ms. Mercy K. Kainobwisho, on her outstanding recognition among the world’s most influential leaders in intellectual property (IP) in 2025.
Ms. Kainobwisho earned her place on this prestigious list due to transformative leadership that has elevated Uganda’s IP ecosystem both regionally and globally. In December, she joined World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Director General Daren Tang to launch the groundbreaking “Intellectual Property in Schools” programme in Uganda.
This initiative, one of WIPO’s most significant engagements in Africa in recent years, introduces IP education at grassroots level and empowers young innovators through exhibitions in robotics, agritech and other emerging fields.
Under her stewardship, URSB was named Government Agency of the Year at the KACITA Quality Awards 2025, reflecting institutional excellence and improved service delivery. The Bureau also marked major milestones, including the establishment of a dedicated Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Department, the launch of modernised IP examination guidelines, and the full digitisation of IP services, significantly enhancing accessibility and efficiency.
Ms. Kainobwisho’s tenure has further been characterised by strong enforcement actions, with URSB overseeing the destruction of counterfeit goods worth USh 100 million, reinforcing protection for creators and businesses.
Her inclusion on the global list of the 50 most influential IP figures of 2025 underscores URSB’s growing impact and affirms Uganda’s rising profile in the international intellectual property landscape.