Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB )

Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB )

Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB )

What is URSB?




  • Semi‑autonomous government agency, established by Act of Parliament in 1998; started operations as a standalone entity in 2012.




  • Operates under the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs of Uganda.




  • Head office is located at Uganda Business Facilitation Centre, Plot 1 Baskerville Avenue, Kololo, Kampala.







? Mandate & Core Functions




  1. Business Registration





    • Registers public/private companies, legal entities, foreign branches, and more .






  2. Civil Registrations





    • Manages marriages and divorces (note: birth, death, adoption moved to NIRA in January 2016).






  3. Intellectual Property (IP)





    • Registers patents, trademarks, copyrights, designs, geographical indications, etc..






  4. Movable Assets Registry (SIMPO)





    • Registers security interests over movable assets to facilitate formal lending.






  5. Insolvency & Receivership





    • Supervises insolvency practitioners, receivers, and liquidation processes.









? Offices & Accessibility




  • Headquarters: Kololo, Kampala.




  • Key branch offices across Uganda: Kampala (Georgian House, Posta), Mbale, Mbarara, Gulu, Arua, Masaka, Hoima.




  • Extended via integrated centre with related agencies (Uganda Investment Authority, URA, NIRA, etc.) to improve service delivery.




  • Contact via toll‑free & call centre; active on social channels like X/Twitter and LinkedIn.







? Leadership & Governance




  • Registrar General / CEO: Mercy Kainobwisho (since December 2020); lawyer with LLM (Turin), MBA, extensive IP & business registration experience.




  • Board Chair: Ambassador Francis K. Butagira (since October 2015); veteran diplomat and lawyer.




  • Former leaders include Bemanya Twebaze (Registrar General 2012–20), now Director General at ARIPO.







? Achievements & Partnerships




  • Awarded in 2015 for service delivery, innovation, and leadership.




  • MoUs to combat money laundering and expedite information sharing (with DPP, Uganda Financial Intelligence Authority).




  • Pushed for a national movable assets registry, to increase formal financing opportunities for SMEs.







? Services & Associated Fees


URSB offers a range of services—business, IP, insolvency, legal document filing, and SIMPO. Here's a snapshot of key processes (based on a recent consolidated guide):














































Service Fee
Name reservation / business name UGX 35,000
Company registration (1–5 m share cap) UGX 105,000 + fixed stamp duty UGX 35,000
Variable stamp duty (> 5 m share cap) 0.5% of amount above threshold
Foreign company filings USD 70 – 350 depending on document
SIMPO / charge registration UGX 55,000
Insolvency practitioner application UGX 150,000
Annual returns (companies / insolvency) UGX 55,000 / UGX 50,000
Legal documents (deeds, affidavits…) UGX 35,000–55,000




(Fees may change—always verify via URSB's official portal or office.)






✔️ Why URSB Matters




  • Business formalization: URSB simplifies and speeds up business formation (e.g., reduced company setup time from days to hours).




  • Access to credit: SIMPO enables SMEs to use movable assets as collateral, supporting financing growth.




  • Innovation support: IP registration protects creators, brands, and fosters investment.




  • Financial integrity: Insolvency oversight ensures orderly restructuring and liquidation processes.



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